Essay on Parenting Styles

Parenting styles refer to how parents react and respond to their children. Basically, most parents have their children’s best interests at heart, and they will choose a parenting style that will help them raise happy, healthy, self-sufficient, and independent adults. The parenting style one chooses tells much about the level of love one has for their children. It is critical for every parent to choose a parenting style that helps them positively interact with their children and instill discipline that will positively influence them for the rest of their lives.

The Authoritarian Style

Authoritarian parents believe that children are not meant to be heard. They give orders, and children must follow these orders to the core. This style does not give the children room for discussion and the right to make choices, and they are not supposed to ask any questions (Sarwar, 2016). Their parents make all the decisions on their behalf. Further, authoritarian parents do not need to explain their rules or decisions regarding what they expect to form their children. Rather, they feel they are in control at all times by giving their children less or no freedom at all. These parents are highly demanding and less responsive to their children’s emotional needs (Jeffrey & Lene, 2019). They are strict with children to meet their high-end expectations while portraying low levels of concern and care. The children may develop self-esteem issues and aggression considering their opinions are never valued, and they have no freedom over their lives.

The Authoritative Style

It is the most preferred and recommended style by psychologists. Authoritative parents are highly demanding and highly responsive. They have high expectations for their children but offer moral and emotional support to achieve the expectations. This style offers room for discussions, and children are given the freedom to take part in decision-making. The parents need to explain the reasons behind their rules; they enforce rules and give consequences but still consider their children’s feelings. Authoritative parents invest time and effort in preventing behavioral problems before starting (Jeffrey & Lene, 2019). In addition, they use positive discipline strategies such as rewards to motivate their children. Children raised with this style tend to be good performers, happy, successful, and often have high self-esteem.

The Permissive Style

Permissive parents are less demanding and highly responsive. These parents often have lower expectations for self-control and maturity and are less likely to discipline their kids. They show more leniency to their kids no matter how bad their behaviors are (LQWilliams, 2016). Permissive parents feel that children should be allowed to regulate their own lives to make them independent in their future lives. However, this parenting style may not meet its goal of raising an independent child but instead a disobedient, immature, poor-performing child.

The Disengaged Style

Disengaged parents are less demanding and less responsive in their children’s lives. Usually, there are few rules, and the parents barely guide, nurture or attend to their children. These parents do not devote much time and effort to meet their children’s needs but expect them to raise themselves (Jeffrey & Lene, 2019). The parents are termed as neglectful, which may be caused by various factors such as mental health or substance abuse problems. Further, disengaged parents may lack the knowledge to show love and care to their children or be overwhelmed with their other challenges, such as work and managing their household needs (LQWilliams 2016). Children raised by disengaged parents may experience self-esteem issues, perform poorly at school, and disengage with their peers.

Different cultures have different rules and expectations on how their discipline their children for misbehavior. Jeffrey & Lene (2019) stated that the authoritative style is typical in white middle-class families where parents explain the consequences for misbehavior and the reasons for discipline. They use praise and rewards for compliant and obedient kids. In misbehaviors, they deny the children privileges or a time out where they are grounded for some time. However, other cultures have different parenting styles. For instance, in Japan, shame and withdrawal of love serve as a parenting style in early childhood. Research shows that this parenting style yields positive outcomes in Japan as children portray fewer behavioral problems and good academic performance. However, this parenting style yields adverse outcomes in western cultures.

References

Jeffrey Jensen Arnett & Lene Arnett Jensen, (2019) Human Development: A Cultural Approach Pearson ISBN.13: 978-0-134-64134-8

LQWilliams (2016) 4 Types of Parenting Styles The 4 Types of Parenting Styles – WeHaveKids

Sarwar Samiullah (2016) Influence of Parenting Style of Children’s Behavior EJ1161470.pdf (ed.gov)