Question

Explain each of the four parenting styles that is discussed in Chapter 8. As a part of your explanation, please include some of the effects on parental forms of discipline. Also, what was your parents/guardians parenting style? Explain.

Answer 1

• Authoritarian style-In this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents don't explain the reasoning behind these rules.
• While these parents have high demands, they are not very responsive to their children. They expect their children to behave exceptionally and not make errors, yet they provide very little direction about what their children should do or avoid in the future. Mistakes are punished, often quite harshly, yet their children are often left wondering exactly what they did wrong.
• According to Baumrind, these parents "are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation."
• Parents who exhibit this style are often described as domineering and dictatorial. Their approach to parenting is one of "spare the rod, spoil the child." Despite having such strict rules and high expectations, they do little to explain the reasoning behind their demands and simply expect children to obey without question.
• Authoritative Parenting-Like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative parenting style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is much more democratic.Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. These parents expect a lot of their children, but they provide warmth, feedback, and adequate support.
• When children fail to meet the expectations, these parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing.Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative."
• It is this combination of expectation and support that helps children of authoritative parents develop skills such as independence, self-control, and self-regulation.
• Permissive Parenting-Permissive parents sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control.?
• According to Baumrind, permissive parents "are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation."
• Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent.
• Neglectful parenting-An uninvolved parenting style is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness, and very little communication.While these parents fulfill the child's basic needs, they are generally detached from their child's life. They might make sure that their kids are fed and have shelter, but offer little to nothing in the way of guidance, structure, rules, or even support. In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children.
• My parents are authoritative in their style of parenting,they are my friends,my guide.They never placed extremely strict rules or punished,but understood my problems and guided me through.They made me understand the rules of right and wrong.