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There are many different parenting styles but they all pretty much boil down to subcategories of 6 styles.
First, I am not saying that any 1 style is better than the other. I feel that the best approach is a combination of different styles.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the traits of the common styles:
1. Permissive Parenting - Many parents have different parenting styles, this is a style that can be very damaging to children when taken to an extreme. Parents who use this style often overindulge their children and set few rules.
Children, who usually get what they want, often never really end up satisfied with what they have. Don't avoid confrontation with your child. The word "no" can be used sometimes and try to modify your parenting by incorporating different styles.
The lenience with which they treat their children often leads to misbehavior and characterizations of spoiled.
2. Authoritarian Parenting - This is the least flexible of the parenting styles. This is the style most likely to foster rebellion as children chafe under the confines of often overprotective and intrusive parents. Authoritarian parents expect their rules and order to be followed without explanation and impose consequences if they are not followed precisely.
While this parenting style is strict and overbearing, some children do well under this parenting style while others lack confidence and maturity. This style should not to be dismissed entirely, but it should be used sparingly.
3. Authoritative Parenting - This style is the most family centered. Parents who use this style include their children in decision making about things that affect them and are patient in explaining rules and consequences for not following family rules.
Authoritative parents expect their children to follow rules, but they are more flexible than authoritarian parents and try to teach greater responsibility and self sufficiency to their children. As you can probably guess, this is the most recommended of the parenting styles. However, it is also probably the hardest to master; it takes patience, time and energy.
4. Uninvolved Parenting - This style certainly isn't recommended but it is unfortunately all too common. Uninvolved parents do not set rules or limits for their children and don't spend time with them or participate in their lives.
A child with no rules and no involved parent is left to left to raise him or herself. This can have devastating effects on the development of the child.
5. Tough Love Parenting - This parenting approach is an extreme measure to deal with a particularly difficult situation, such as drug addiction or violence.
When your teen is in trouble, you have to take some drastic measures to handle the situation.
Since teens have taken to drugs and violence, there is a trend for this style of parenting, which includes boot camps and wilderness camps to name a few.
However, if you have decided on this parenting approach, you must stick to it. But, make sure that the conditions in the camp are humane. You don't want to torture your child.
6. Balanced Parenting - Balanced parents keep an even tone in their approach to bringing up children. They are neither too strict nor too lenient. They do make general rules and set broad limits, but they are neither too rigid about them nor too flexible.
They take each situation at its face value and react to it accordingly rather than living by the book. It is true when they say that life is a book in which the answers are not written on the last page.
Things to Think About - There are many other parenting styles that branch off from these six. As stated before, it is often best to combine the best aspects of different styles to create your own.
Parents will always argue about which styles or parenting approaches are best, but the true test is in the results. The goal for most parents is to raise their children to be honest contributing members of society.
If you are a new parent that does not want to repeat the styles of your parents, find a parenting mentor that has raised the kinds of children that you want yours to be and learn as much as you can from them.
I know that it may be a hard thing to do, but look at yourself... are you the kind of person that you want your children to be? If the answer is no, do not repeat the style that your parents used.
There are plenty of resources out there to help guide new parents. Christian church groups and many community organizations offer free parenting classes.
I hope you have enjoyed my article on the Top 6 Parenting Styles.
Jonnie Blaylock is a single father that has learned a lot about parenting over the years through experience and research. He shares his ideas about Parenting Styles with his readers at Plain and Simple Parenting.
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