Why Parenting Styles Matter When Raising Children

The influence of parents on children’s development has long piqued the curiosity of developmental psychologists. Nonetheless, it can be exceedingly challenging to identify concrete cause-and-effect relationships between particular parental behaviours and later child behaviour Why Parenting Styles Matter When Raising Children.

Some kids who were reared in very different surroundings can end up having very similar personalities as adults. On the other hand, kids who live together and are raised in the same setting might develop totally diverse personalities as adults.

Notwithstanding these difficulties, experts contend that correlations exist between parenting approaches and the consequences those approaches have on kids. Some even contend that these impacts persist into adult conduct Why Parenting Styles Matter When Raising Children.

The Four Parenting Styles

Diana Baumrind, a psychologist, studied more than 100 young children in the 1960s. She pinpointed certain key aspects of parenting using naturalistic observation, parental interviews, and other study techniques.

Discipline tactics, warmth and caring, communication methods, and expectations of maturity and control are some of these characteristics. Baumrind proposed that the majority of parents exhibit one of three parenting styles based on these dimensions. Subsequent studies by Maccoby and Martin proposed a fourth parenting approach. The impact of each of them on kids’ behaviour varies Why Parenting Styles Matter When Raising Children.

The four parenting philosophies that Baumrind and other scholars have identified are:

• The authoritarian manner of parenting
• The strict parenting approach
• The lax approach to parenting
• The detached parenting approach

Authoritarian Parenting

Children are expected to abide by the rigorous guidelines set forth by the parents under this parenting approach. Usually, breaking these restrictions has a penalty.

Some common traits include:

• These parents have great expectations, yet they don’t pay much attention to their kids.
• Parents want their kids to act admirably and not make mistakes, but they don’t provide them much guidance about what they should do or not do in the future .
• The punishment for mistakes is frequently fairly severe, yet the youngsters are frequently left wondering exactly what they did wrong.

These parents, according to Baumrind, “are status- and obedience-oriented, and want their demands to be obeyed without justification.” They are frequently characterised as tyrannical and overbearing. “Spare the rod, pamper the child” is their philosophy. Children are expected to follow orders without inquiry.

Authoritative Parenting

In the same way that authoritarian parents set rules and expectations for their children to follow, authoritative parents do the same. But, this approach to parenting is a lot more democratic.

The assertive parenting style is known for its:

• Parents who are authoritative respond to their kids’ needs and are ready to hear their inquiries.
• These parents have high expectations for their kids, but they treat them well and give them constructive criticism.
• These parents are more nurturing and tolerant when their kids don’t live up to expectations.

Baumrind asserts that authoritative parents are adept at establishing rules and keeping an eye on their kids’ behaviour. Instead of being obtrusive, constrictive, or harsh, their disciplinary strategies are aggressive and supportive.

To raise children who are cooperative, self-reliant, and socially responsible is the aim of authoritarian parents. Children of authoritative parents benefit from the combination of expectation and support as they learn abilities like independence, self-control, and self-regulation.

Uninvolved Parenting

Psychologists Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin advocated a fourth style, uninvolved or neglectful parenting, in addition to Baumrind’s three main parenting approaches.

Additional traits of the detached parenting approach:

• These parents provide for the child’s basic requirements, but they are typically not involved in their child’s day-to-day activities.
• They might make sure their children are fed and have a place to live, but they hardly ever provide any direction, structure, rules, or even support.
• These parents could come out as distant, uncaring, and contemptuous.
• These parents may occasionally disregard or reject their children’s needs. They might also be cruel physically or mentally.

According to a 2019 study, kids with neglectful parents likely to struggle in school, suffer from more sadness, have weaker social relationships, struggle with emotion regulation, and experience higher levels of anxiety.

The Impact of Parenting Styles

According to research, parenting practises can have a variety of affects on kids. Some aspects of a child’s life, both now and in the future, could be impacted are as follows:

• Academics: Parental practises can influence academic motivation and success.
• Mental health: Parental methods can have an impact on a child’s mental health. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues are more prevalent in kids raised by strict, permissive, or uninvolved parents.
• Self-esteem: Children raised by parents who are authoritative have stronger self-esteem than children raised by parents who are less authoritative.
• Social interactions: Parental methods can influence how children interact with others. For instance, kids with permissive parents are more likely to experience bullying, whereas kids with authoritarian parents are more likely to perpetrate bullying.
• Children raised by strict: authoritarian parents may be more prone to endure emotional abuse in adult love relationships, according to research on this topic.

Advantages of Authoritative Parenting

The authoritative parents are more likely to agree with their requests because they are more likely to be perceived as rational, fair, and just. Children are also much more likely to internalise these lessons since these parents set rules and provide justifications for those rules.

Children of authoritative parents are able to see why the rules are in place, comprehend that they are fair and acceptable, and strive to follow these rules in order to satisfy their own internalised sense of what is right and wrong. This is in contrast to children of authoritarian parents, who may only follow the rules out of fear of punishment.

Can You Change Your Parenting Style?

There are actions you may take to adopt a more authoritative parenting style if you find that you tend to be more authoritarian, lenient, or detached. Techniques that could be useful include:

• Taking the time to hear: what your child has to say. Let children to express their concerns, ideas, and opinions to you.
• Set a clear set of rules: for your home and let your youngster know what is expected of them. Not only should you explain the rules to your child, but also the reasoning behind them.
• Authoritative parents: set the rules, but they are also prepared to listen to their child’s feelings and take them into account when making decisions.
• Be dependable: Consistently enforce the law, but make sure the penalties are reasonable, appropriate, and instructive.

It takes time to adopt a more strict parenting stance. Yet, with time and perseverance, you will notice that your parenting style progressively changes to one that is more involved and helpful, which can result in better developmental outcomes.

Limitations of Parenting Style Research

Based on correlational research, which is useful for determining links between variables, parenting practises and behaviour are linked. Such study, however, is unable to prove conclusive cause-and-effect connections.

Children May Affect Their Parents’ Styles

There is proof that a child’s behaviour can affect a parent’s parenting approach. According to one study, parents of children who displayed challenging conduct gradually began to exercise less parental control. These findings imply that children may misbehave not because their parents were overly indulgent but rather because the parents of rebellious or aggressive children gave up trying to rein them in.

Outcomes Vary

However, several researchers have noticed that there are occasionally shaky links between parental practises and behaviour. The expected child outcomes frequently don’t happen. For instance, children raised by domineering parents may exhibit defiance or engage in criminal activity.

Cultural Factors Play a Role

Parenting practises and child outcomes are significantly influenced by cultural influences as well. There isn’t a parenting approach that is always the best in every situation. For instance, research has indicated that while authoritative parenting is associated with better outcomes in European and American cultures, it is not associated with greater academic performance among Black and Asian adolescents.

A Word From WinAspire

You can explore various parenting strategies by being more aware of your own parenting style. There are actions you can do to become more involved and authoritative in how you relate to your children if you see that you have a tendency to be more strict, forgiving, or dismissive.