Which Parenting Style is Best for You?

We all know that parenting is hard, but it can be even harder when you don’t have a clear idea of what type of parenting style to use or what the advantages and disadvantages are to each one. These are the four different types of parenting styles – authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved.

Authoritarian Parenting Style

Authoritarian parenting is very strict and children are expected to follow all the rules without any exceptions. The authoritarian parent also has high expectations for the child and they expect the child to behave perfectly. This is the “Because I said so.” type of parenting style.

Advantages:

This style will do an excellent job of teaching their children how to follow the rules. They will also teach them how to address others with respect.

Disadvantages:

With this style, the children will not learn how to express their feelings or disagree respectfully with someone else. They may also struggle with understanding appropriate social behavior because parental input on this area is limited. They also have an issue with placing and maintaining boundaries with others. It can also be a fine line between parenting and emotional and psychological abuse with your children.

Authoritative Parenting Style

Authoritative parenting has high expectations for the child. But, they balance those expectations with a healthy dose of support and encouragement. They will enforce the rules, but they will also listen to the child and give them a sense of control.

Advantages:

With this style of parenting children will be more responsive to parental feedback. They will also have stronger self-esteem as well as better academic performance. They are also less likely to break the rules because they understand the consequences.

Disadvantages:

This type of parenting can be hard for parents to take charge where necessary and children may occasionally rebel. The parents may also be too lenient sometimes on the rules which can make it much harder to enforce them.

Permissive Parenting Style

Permissive parenting is like authoritative parenting in that there are high expectations of children and parents encourage their development. There is also very few restrictions for the child.

Advantages:

This type of parenting is that children are given a great deal of freedom and they learn responsibility. They tend to develop very strong social skills as well as an understanding of what it means to be independent.

Disadvantages:

This type of parenting style has fewer consequences for bad behavior, which can lead to unruly children. These children are more likely to have difficulty conforming, and they may also need extra help when it comes to developing strong social skills.

Uninvolved Parenting Style

Uninvolved parenting is the exact opposite of authoritarian parenting where there is no structure at all. There are fewer expectations for children’s behavior, and they spend very little time developing communication with their children.

Advantages:

This type of parenting has fewer rules for the children to abide by and thus it can be easier on the parent. They also tend to have very little interaction with their child so discipline can be non-existent.

Disadvantages:

With this style of parenting, children will not learn how to behave appropriately. They are also prone to getting into trouble with little oversight. This can lead to problems later on when they reach adolescence because it’s harder for them to develop self-discipline.

In The End…

We discussed four different styles and how they can affect children differently. We hope these insights are helpful as you’re deciding which parenting style may fit best for your family. No matter the situation, your kids need to feel loved, safe and supported. Which type do you feel most comfortable with?

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