The Four Types of Parenting Styles

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With over three hundred million Americans and over six billion people worldwide parenting skills are essential to maintain a healthy society. Parenting involves many aspects and requires many skills. It is a time to nurture, instruct, and correct to develop fundamental skills children will need to be mature, responsible, and contributing adults to a society. There are four commonly identified parenting styles; authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting. Of the four parenting styles, two remain on opposite ends of the parenting spectrum. These two styles; authoritarian, and permissive both have deleterious results that are often visible throughout different developmental stages, such as rebellious behavior. As well each style has its own advantages such as; acceptance by peers with commonality. Child rearing for most parents is an evolving set of skills. It could be said that, with any style of parenting, there is no explicit set of rules for every situation, and what works for one child may not be effective for another. Even though authoritarian and permissive parenting may have some minor similarities they are remarkably different from one another in their approach to raising children. One of the most striking differences is that of expected social behaviors. Authoritarian parents expect and require strict adherence to proper manners, often to an extreme! Demonstrating manners in all circumstances is a sign of obedience and respect within this parent-child relationship. This act of obedience may also be expressed in a formal style of communication rather than a casual style both to parents and others. “Yes Sir”, “No Sir”, “Please”, and “Thank You” are words of common... ... middle of paper ... ... outward acts of disapproval when expected to accomplish a task, and seldom follow thru with a given chore. Successful parenting may be judged by many different standards. Raising a child to be a respectful, mature, and independent adult requires a great deal of effort. There are several parenting styles, and not all lead a child to reaching their full potential. Overpowering sternness leads may lead to a rebellious child, while passive parenting may lead children to inept for the challenges of adulthood. Parenting requires more than teaching children submissiveness, or building of self-importance. Children learn best from a role model who is admirable. Parenting is a great opportunity to set the course of one’s entire life in the right direction.

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