Parenting Styles

Researchers have identified four different types of parenting styles. According to research, the role a parent decides to take with a child can impact the child for life.

Authoritarian parents believe that their children should follow all the rules that they have established for them with out questioning their authority. Authoritarian parents do not care about their child's opinion on rules or the consequences if they break those rules. These parents will not negotiate with their children; they just expect the children to do as they are told. Authoritarian parents tend to punish their children instead of teaching their child why what they did was not a good choice and how they can make a better choice in the future. In general, children who have authoritative parents tend to follow rules but may have a tendency to lie to avoid punishment. They may also have problems with aggression.

Authoritative parents also like to have clear expectations and rules, but they are a little more lenient than authoritarian parents. These parents believe in teaching logical consequences for behavior and also promoting positive discipline. They may do this through verbal praise or rewards. Children raised in authoritative households tend to be happy children. These children are likely to grow up to be responsible adults.

Permissive parents allow inappropriate behavior to continue until it reaches a certain point and then they step in and give a consequence. They avoid giving too many consequences and overlook behaviors. Permissive parents usually try to take the role of friend to their child. Children raised in a permissive household tend to struggle in school. These children also have a higher rate of health problems like obesity and cavities because they are able to eat whatever they want.

The last parenting style is the uninvolved parent. This is the parent who expects their children to parent themselves. Uninvolved parents sometimes are so because they either don't know how to be a parent or they might be involved in drugs or mental health problems. Children who grow up in homes with uninvolved parents usually do not have rules. These children tend to do poorly academically and have behavior problems.