Is Your Parenting Style Effective?

We learn a lot from our parents. Sometimes we want to parent the same way we were parented, and other times we want to parent opposite of how we were parented. When you think back to your teen years, what did you appreciate about how you were parented? What do you wish your parents had done differently?

Parenting is the act of raising children and meeting the needs of their physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual development. The goal of parenting is to raise your child to be an independent adult. There are four main styles of parenting that attempt to achieve this goal.

Authoritarian Parenting

This style of parenting is very strict and involves firm boundaries, extensive control, and minimal affection. The parents enforce the rules and expect the teen to behave accordingly with little to no room for discussion. Teens raised in an authoritarian environment have a greater chance of exhibiting socially incompetent behavior. Teens are often anxious and have poor communication skills.

Authoritative Parenting

This style of parenting encourages teens to be independent while placing reasonable boundaries and expectations. Affection is high with this style. Parents are warm and nurturing and engage in discussion with their teen. Teens raised in an authoritative environment have a greater chance of exhibiting socially competent behavior. Teens are often self-reliant and socially responsible.

Neglectful Parenting

This style of parenting involves the parents being absent from the teen’s life. Oftentimes, there is lack of boundaries and supervision, as well as lack of affection. Parents often view their lives as more important than the needs of their teen. Teens raised in a neglectful environment are often socially incompetent and lack self-control.

Indulgent Parenting

This style of parenting involves parents who are over-involved, but also place few boundaries on the teen. This type of parenting is often coined with parents who are “friends” with their teen. In this environment, teens do what they want and have few consequences. The result of indulgent parenting increases the chance of social-incompetence and poor self-control.

If you have questions about your parenting style, or if you would like guidance and direction to change how you parent, call or contact me to schedule a Parent Consultation.