The four main styles of parenting each has its own unique set of characteristics and methods. While some styles may have a positive impact on children, other styles can affect them negatively.
Finding the right parenting style that fits is imperative to your child’s upbringing.
The publication Choosing Therapy provides an explanation on the four main parenting styles and how it can affect children.
Parenting style: Authoritarian
Parents who adopt this style, having learned it from previous generations or cultural experiences, highly demand obedience, have low warmth and minimal affection for their kids. Authoritarian parents often provide no explanations for their decisions and rarely engage in discussions with their children.
Characteristics of an authoritarian parenting style include:
- Little consideration for children’s feelings
- Strained and insecure parent-child relationship
- Intense criticism of children
Authoritarian parents can expect children to accept parental judgment and values. This expectation can severely limit children’s ability to make judgments and decisions for themselves.
The possible effects an authoritarian parenting style has on children include:
- Depression
- Rebelliousness and substance use
- Insecurities and low self-esteem
- Poor social skills
Parenting style: Authoritative
An authoritative parent-child relationship is democratic where the parent provides a nurturing and warm environment, while firmly setting limits and boundaries. Unlike authoritarian parents, authoritative parents provide reasoning and guidance, and are willing to listen to their children’s viewpoints when explaining decisions.
Characteristics of an authoritative parenting style include:
- Freedom for children to express and share feelings
- Emphasis on mental health and emotions
- Provides consistent rules and expectations
With authoritative parenting considered the optimal approach, children of these parents are usually more self-reliant and socially responsible due to having opportunities of independence.
The possible effects an authoritative parenting style has on children include:
- Secure attachment with parents
- Healthy approach to relationships
- Better mental health
- High self-esteem
Parenting style: Permissive
Here, parents practise high parental responsiveness and low demandingness, and are supportive and aware of their child’s emotional needs. However, they may struggle to set boundaries and expectations.
Characteristics of a permissive parenting style include:
- Open communication
- Allowing children to make their own decisions
- Rarely set or enforced expectations
The warmth and love from permissive parents can foster strong attachments and bonding. However, these parents may focus less on discipline and correcting behaviours.
The possible effects a permissive parenting style has on children include:
- Self-centred or egocentric behaviours
- Impulsivity
- Low self-esteem
- Dependence on parents
Parenting style: Uninvolved
This parenting style is both low demanding and responsive. The parents do not provide expectations or support when it comes to their children’s behaviours, emotions, or needs. The parents may also come off as dismissive, uninterested, or ignore the child outside of providing basic needs.
Characteristics of an uninvolved parenting style include:
- Extremely fragile or non-existent parent-child relationship
- Little parental involvement in child’s activities
- Lack of nurturing and affection
Sometimes known as neglectful parenting, uninvolved parenting can be considered the most detrimental parenting style to children.
The possible effects an uninvolved parenting style has on children include:
- Poor mental health
- Low self-confidence
- Substance use
- Emotional dysregulation
Other parenting styles include:
- Positive parenting: Promoting good behaviours and choices using praise, encouragement, and rewards.
- Free-range parenting: Allowing children to explore and learn through experience with minimal supervision.
- Attachment parenting: There is an emphasis on the importance of the parent-child emotional bond.
- Gentle parenting: Prioritises empathy, respect, and understanding in parent-child interactions.
Also see: Tips on positive discipline techniques for parents
