There is parenting advice everywhere, and you probably have a lot of parenting questions. There are many different schools of thought about how to parent, and parenting styles psychology identifies some of the main ways people parent.
While you are the one who ultimately chooses how to parent your child, learning about the different types of parenting styles can be useful. They can help give you tips and ideas for how to parent your way.
Parenting Styles Psychology and the Types of Parenting Styles
Research psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study in the 1960s that observed that there are three different parenting styles, each with its own distinctive features.
Read their attributes below to find out how parenting styles affect child behavior.
Authoritative
The parenting values that belong to the authoritative style are nurturing, understanding, and forgiving. Authoritative parents set high yet clear expectations from their children. They are also there to provide support and listen to their child’s concerns.
Authoritarian (or Disciplinarian)
These are parents who insist on strict rules and are described as “disciplinarians.” Authoritarian parents typically punish their children for their faults. Due to a lack of communication and explanation from their parents, children sometimes wonder why they are being punished.
Permissive (or Indulgent)
Permissive parents tend to be lenient and have low expectations from their children — these parents aren’t the helicopter moms hovering over their kids. What’s nice about them is they are also nurturing and attentive to their children’s needs. As compared to authoritarians, their rules are limited.
Neglectful (or Uninvolved)
Stanford researchersEleanor Maccoby and John Martin proposed this fourth style in addition to Baumrind’s three parenting styles.
With this one, parents are typically absent in their child’s life. Although they provide material things and their basic needs, there is little support in terms of emotional and behavioral needs from them.
Parenting Your Way
Knowing about parenting styles psychology can help you better understand your own way of parenting. However, becauseyouaretheonewhounderstandsyourchild the best, the most important thing you can do as a parent is to parent according to your own principles and values.
Being a parent is hard, but learning from it is what makes it rewarding.
While many people believe themselves to be parenting experts, you are truly the only one that makes the ultimate choice. You are the one that knows your kids best.
You, as their parent, know what works and what doesn’t. Sure, you will have to go through trial and error. Sure, you are going to make mistakes, but you will learn from them.
The most important thing to note is that every child is different. What worked for one parent may not work for you or your children. This is why parenting your way is important.
It will always boil down to what works best for your child.
Stop watching what others are doing and criticizing yourself. If you want to give a certain method or parenting style a try, go for it, but if it doesn’t work, it simply means it doesn’t work for your kids.
A parent’s love is about doing what is right for their kids.
As long as your children are loved, safe, and taken care of, you are doing a great job. Beyond that, the way you choose to parent them is fully subjective.
The way you choose to discipline, redirect, or teach them is all up to what you feel is best. If you co-sleep, that is up to you. If you utilize time out, that is up to you. If you prefer to use positive reinforcement, that is up to you.
Parenting styles psychology is useful for learning more about the different types of parenting. If one style interests you, you can always try implementing it in your life. Parenting according to your parenting values is important because only you truly have the insight to know what they require to live happy, well-rounded, productive lives.