Parenting Styles Compared

Parenting Styles Compared

Tracee Da Silva

Parenting Styles Compared

The family unit plays a crucial role in the social learning of an individual during childhood and adolescence (Chorpita & Barlow, 1998). The parent-child relationship designs the structure of the environment and influences the opportunities children have outside the family unit for social learning (Timpana et al., 2010). The structure and the social learning that the child ultimately is influenced by, however, are dependent on the way the child is raised (Timpana et al, 2010). The way that a child reacts to the people and the world around him or her is conditional on the upbringing he or she is exposed (Timpana et al., 2010). Four types of parenting styles including permissive, authoritative, authoritarian, and uninvolved will first be compared through this paper. What qualifies as good parenting will be depicted in conclusion.

Permissive Parenting Style

The words laissez-faire, hands-off, tolerant, and liberal are acronyms that describe permissive parenting style. Permissive parents allow independence, impose few demands, accept a child's impulses, are unresponsive to those impulses, and are non-controlling (Keller, 2007). Discipline is not a priority of the permissive parenting style because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control (Cherry, 2011). Permissive parenting style is non-traditional, nurturing, and communicative with the child (Cherry, 2011). Friendship and equality are considered priority over rite of passage and respect of elders.

Characteristics of permissive parenting include setting few rules or standards of behavior. When there are rules, those rules are often inconsistent or upheld. Permissive parents are nurturing and loving, often acting as a friend rather than a parent (Cherry, 2011). Permissive parents may use bribery such as toys, gifts, and favorite foods as means to obtain good behavior from their child (Cherry, 2011).

Children raised with permissive parenting style can be affected throughout their lives. Socially a child of permissive parenting can result in poor social skills due to the lack of requirements from the parent (Cherry, 2011). A child raised in the permissive environment can have a lack of self-discipline and may be insecure about him or herself because of a lack of boundaries experienced as a child (Cherry, 2011). The lack of parenting and boundaries can result in underage drinking, poor decision-making, and risky behaviors (Cherry, 2011).

Authoritative Parenting Style

The words reliable, solid, firm, and respected describe the authoritative parent. A parent with authoritative parenting style holds high expectations for his or her child (Cherry, 2011). Established rules and guidelines are set and expect to be followed (Cherry, 2011). Authoritative parents are assertive but not intrusive and restrictive (Cherry, 2011). Authoritative parenting style promotes social responsibility, self-regulation, and cooperation (Baumrind, 1991).

Characteristics of authoritative parents include the following. Authoritative parents practice encouragement of independence, discussion of options, and expression of opinions (Cherry, 2011). Warmth, nurturance, listening skills, limit setting, consequence, and expectations of behaviors in addition to fair and consistent discipline are methods of authoritative parenting (Baumrind, 1991). Authoritative parents are responsive and encouraging of verbal give and take (Keller, 2007). Authoritative parents provide rationales for actions and solicit input into decisions while strongly enforcing rules and demanding mature behavior from the child (Keller, 2007).

Children raised by authoritative parents are more likely to have happier dispositions (Cherry, 2011). A child from an authoritative environment develops good social skills, good emotional control and regulation, and are self confident about abilities (Cherry, 2011). Authoritative parents allow his or her children to act independently which results in strong self- esteem and a strong sense of self worth (Cherry, 2011). Higher adolescent school achievements are associated with authoritative parenting style (Kordi, 2010)

Authoritarian Parenting Style

The words strict, demanding, dictatorial, and controlling are words that describe the authoritarian parent. Authoritarian parents expect his or her children to follow all rules set by the parental unit. Punishment is the result of failure to adhere to the established rules (Cherry, 2011). According to Baumrind, authoritarian parents, "are-obedience-and-status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation" (1991).

Characteristics of authoritarian parents are demanding and have minimal expression of warmth or nurturing (Cherry, 2011). Authoritarian parents enforce punishment and do not give choices or options (Cherry, 2011). Children raised in the environment of the authoritarian parenting style can display aggressive behavior outside the home, associate obedience with love, and often act fearful or shy around others (Cherry, 2011). Although children of authoritarian parents are