Parenting styles have long-term effects on children. It is one of the strongest influences that determines one’s personality traits like emotional regulation, coping skills, adjustment, etc.
In recent times, there has been a change in the beliefs related to parenting. In fact, studies reveal that most parents now find parenting harder than it used to be in the past two decades.
However, a mindful parenting strategy can assist parents in building solid relationships with their kids in any circumstance. Additionally, a child’s personality and emotional health can both be enhanced with proper parenting techniques.
Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist researched parenting styles, and categorized these into 4 different types namely:
- Authoritarian Parenting
- Authoritative Parenting
- Permissive Parenting
- Uninvolved Parenting
These parenting styles are different approaches in which parents guide and interact with their children. Let’s discuss each one of these individually along with the pros and cons of each type:
1. Authoritarian Parenting Style
(High parental control and low flexibility)
This style of parenting limits the child’s flexibility. Parents act as the sole decision-makers. And there is hardly any scope for open communication between them and the child. Most of the time, parents set their rules and expect their children to obey without any scope of discussion. Parents who take up this style end up raising kids who struggle in making decisions, have higher levels of aggression, lack emotional regulation, and have poor self-esteem.
Such kids fail to regulate their emotions. As a result, they are either too shy or tend to rebel against authority. This type of parenting deprives the child of the opportunity to develop as a thinking individual. And the child fails to develop a growth mindset.
Pros:
- More focus on being obedient and staying within limits.
- Children often stay tidy and avoid undesirable behavior.
Cons:
- Poor social development.
- Lack of bonding as a family unit.
- Frustration or emotional problems that affect both childhood and adulthood.
2. Authoritative Parenting Style
(Balanced expectations and support)
Parents who adopt an authoritative parenting style encourage independence and nurture their kids with set goals and provide adequate support to achieve these. This style promotes academic achievements and improves the child’s self-regulation skills. Children raised with this style often grow up to be adults with good emotional health. And they also develop a sense of independence over a period of time.
Generally, this parenting style leads to the healthiest outcomes for children. Because they learn to manage negative emotions. And their confidence level reduces the fear of failure. These children learn how to perform their tasks and duties on their own. In addition, they are also more resilient in life. One of the top reasons why this parenting style is believed to be the most successful is that it reduces the chances of mental health issues. Kids who are raised with this style tend to adjust better to social relationships and turn out to be highly productive in life.
Pros:
- More chances of academic success in life.
- Children grow up as disciplined and emotionally healthy individuals.
Cons:
- Children might depend too much on explanations to comprehend the reasons behind instructions.
3. Permissive Parenting Style
(Less expectations and friendly behavior)
As the name suggests, this parenting style provides an environment of warmth and care to the child. Parents behave more like friends and give a lot of freedom to the child. In most cases, this style makes children more impulsive and obstinate. They also tend to develop unhealthy habits such as excessive eating, and irregular sleep patterns.
Permissive parents fail to set safe limits. As a result, children become more demanding and self-governed. This parenting style is also criticized for raising selfish kids who rarely understand the importance of being disciplined in life. Another demerit of this parenting style is that it deprives the child of the opportunity to learn social skills and adjustment. The child has all the freedom to make decisions. And there is hardly any check on the repercussions that follow. Too much leniency at times also leads to behavior problems, substance use, and academic backwardness.
Pros:
- Relationships are based on communication and the freedom to express oneself.
- Often children turn out to be more confident individuals.
Cons:
- Kids can fail to accept authority or tend to defy rules.
- They might also become too selfish eventually and lack empathy.
4. Uninvolved Parenting Style
(Low involvement and uninterested)
The term uninvolved itself is self-explanatory as these parents do not supervise the child well. Uninvolved parents are not interested much in all that goes on in their child’s lives. They do not create schedules and allow more freedom to the child by neglecting their duties. Children raised by uninvolved parents often become more self-sufficient in life. At the same time, they might face issues in managing their emotions as they do not get a nurturing environment to develop good emotional intelligence.
One of the important aspects of this parenting style is that it varies from case to case. Because some parents choose to be uninvolved in their child’s life. While some others might have issues and might be forced to take up this parenting style. In many cases, a parent’s physical, mental, or emotional health issues can be the reason wherein parent/parents have no option but to bring up the child in an uninvolved manner.
Pros:
- Can help children to be more self-reliant and independent.
- They are mature and make decisions on their own.
Cons:
- Kids can be lonely and do not share their feelings with anyone.
- Lack the ability to contribute to society as an involved member.
Final Thoughts
There is no perfect or bookish way of bringing up a child. In fact, good parenting is a product of devoting the right amount of time and supporting the child to grow up as a healthy individual. UNICEF beautifully defines parenting as the behaviors, interactions, emotions, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices that are associated with nurturing care. So let’s trust ourselves and select an appropriate parenting style, to help our children grow up as well-rounded individuals.
Hope this information helped you elevate your parenting!
Thanks for Reading!
