Parenting is one of the most challenging and important jobs that require patience as it affects a child’s overall well-being. The most noticeable impact of parenting is apparent in the child’s self-esteem and ability to relate to others. Hence, parents need to become familiar with various parenting styles to choose one compatible with their child’s personality and needs.
What Is the Right Parenting Style For You?
This article presents various parenting styles and their corresponding effects on children.
Uninvolved Parenting
Also known as neglectful parenting, absent parenting fails to provide for the children’s emotional and physical needs. Uninvolved parents of infants and toddlers neglect to provide basic needs such as food and water. Safety is also ignored, and parents do not hold back with inappropriate words around their children.
Uninvolved parents don’t spend time with their children, never ask about homework or school, and are likely unaware of their child’s whereabouts or who they spend time with throughout the day. They have little to no home rules and fail to provide guidance and care for their children. Sometimes, the cause of parents’ neglect may be substance abuse or mental health issues.
Due to the lack of a guiding figure, children of neglectful parents raise themselves and have difficulty forming trusting relationships with others.
Authoritarian Parenting
The authoritarian parent believes that children must follow the rules without question or exception. Parents who go by these parenting styles do not consider their children’s feelings and believe their way is the correct way of doing things. They also lack some of the most vital parenting skills, such as acknowledging their children as individual beings and relinquishing control.
Authoritarian parents are the ones you’d likely hearsay, “Because I said so,” especially if a child begins asking questions regarding a rule. Compromises are discouraged, and parents require total obedience. The focus is for children to follow the rules and instill in them the consequences of their actions when they make mistakes without understanding the reasons behind them.
Authoritarian parents also implement punishments instead of discipline. The child is made to feel regretful of their choices and often grows up strictly following rules most of the time. At the same time, they can also develop self-esteem issues as they think that their opinions don’t matter. Children growing up in a strict household often exhibit aggression and resentment towards their parents or themselves because they perceive that they fail to live up to their expectations.
Permissive Parenting
Permissive parents are highly responsive, allow open communication, and take on a friendship role with their children. They don’t like conflict and would reluctantly succumb to their children’s begging. Parents rarely set rules and make sacrifices to keep their children happy. They won’t offer guidance and will most likely allow their children to do whatever they want.
While these parents are loving and nurturing towards their children, they lack discipline skills. Consequently, children have more freedom, and their actions tend to go unnoticed because their parents resemble friends than parents. The children are also not under any structured parenting. They do not have chores to do or rules to follow. For instance, they won’t be asked to pick up their toys or go to bed at a specified time.
The looseness of this parenting style could teach kids that they can do whatever they want regardless of schedules and rules. These children will grow up thinking that they can have snacks or anything else anytime they want
Authoritative Parenting
The authoritative parent is considered to be effective and is in tune with the needs of their children. They guide their kids by setting clear boundaries and rules and having reasonable expectations. These parents provide positive feedback and are keen on listening to the opinions or viewpoints of their children. Moreover, they are supportive yet firm when disciplining their children.
The authoritative parent establishes a loving and positive environment for their children. It gives children higher mental health scores, high self-esteem, and stable quality of life. Hence, children who grow up under the care and supervision of authoritative parents are less likely to have violent tendencies, have problems with substance abuse, and engage in unhealthy sexual behaviors.
The children who experience this parenting style grow to be self-reliant, self-retraining, friendly, cooperative, and energetic.
So, What Is the Right Parenting Style For You?
While there are different parenting styles, the best kind is the one that puts the child’s best interest at heart.
Unfortunately, these styles are sometimes achieved not by choice but by other variables influencing a parent’s behavior and attitude towards their children. Hence, parents should seek help if they need assistance and intervention when dealing with their children and resolving their issues.
Remember that the right parenting style most likely results in confident, happy, healthy children.