Question

what are the 3 major parenting styles and describe the characteristic for each one

Answer 1

A parenting style is a psychological construct representing standard strategies that parents use in their child rearing. The quality of parenting can be more essential than the quantity of time spent with the child.

Different Styles of Parenting-

• Authoritative

Authoritative parenting is characterized by a child-centered approach that holds high expectations of maturity. Authoritative parents can understand how their children are feeling and teach them how to regulate their feelings. Even with high expectations of maturity, authoritative parents are usually forgiving of any possible shortcomings.

• Authoritarian

Authoritarian parenting is a restrictive, punishment-heavy parenting style in which parents make their children follow their directions with little to no explanation or feedback and focus on the child's and family's perception and status.

• Indulgent or Permissive

Indulgent parenting is characterized as having few behavioral expectations for the child. "Indulgent parenting is a style of parenting in which parents are very involved with their children but place few demands or controls on them".

Characteristics of Authoritative Parenting Style-

Encouragement to express thoughts and opinions

• Parents will ask children their feelings and be level with them. They allow their children to say what they want to say within reason.

Administration of fair and consistent discipline

• Not just fair discipline is efficient. It has to be consistent as well, to create an atmosphere where there is no fear of the unknown.

Expression of nurturance and warmth

• Without this comfort and nurturing, the child will feel isolated and will withdraw even further.

Listening to their children

• Parents will give their children the benefit of the doubt and listen to what they have to say for themselves before jumping to any kind of conclusion.

Ability to discuss options freely

• Authoritative parents let their children make choices and allow them to express what they want in life.

Placing of limits, consequences, and expectations

• Sometimes these limits can be stricter than other styles, but there are communication and understanding between parents and child.

Characteristics of Authoritarian parenting style-

Strict Rules And Expectations:

• Authoritarian parents are strict, rigid, inflexible and impulsive in nature. They force their children to follow strict rules and regulations in routine life.
• They never allow the child to question any of the laid regulations and expect them to adhere strictly to them without slightest modifications. They do not encourage verbal give-and-take.
• In Authoritarian parenting, the mother and the father have the ultimate authority and they control their children in a strict manner.

Impose Punishment:

• Authoritarian parents impose punishments on their children, whenever the child crosses the boundary and fails to follow the regulations.
• When the child commits mistakes or fails to live up to the expectations, the parent punishes them harshly.
• The Authoritarian parents do not attempt to explain the reasons for rules but simply punishes and fail to give any other options to minimize the conflict.

Not Responsive:

• Parents are never responsive and only compel the child to follow the laid rules in daily life.
• Parents never feel the need to give explanations to their children.
• Even if their children are incredibly successful at school, they rarely congratulate or encourage them. Instead, they may indicate that much more is expected of them.
• Such parents are simply obedience- and status-oriented.

Characteristics of Indulgent parenting style-

• Have few rules or standards of behavior

• When there are rules, they are often very inconsistent
• Are usually very nurturing and loving towards their kids
• Often seem more like a friend, rather than a parent
• May use bribery such as toys, gifts and food as a means to get child to behave
• Provide little in the way of a schedule or structure
• Emphasize their children's freedom rather than responsibility
• Ask their children's opinions on major decisions
• Rarely enforce any type of consequences