What is Your Parenting Style?

Once you have a child, life takes a complete 360. What was once important to you is no longer a thought and doesn't even have a place in your life. Being a parent is the most rewarding, satisfying and fulfilling job I could ever ask for. At times it is a bit scary knowing that you are responsible for this little being who completely relies on you and looks up to you. As a parent we have the most significant impact on our child's development. The way we interact with our children, act around our children and discipline our children will help to mold them into who they will be as toddlers, teenagers and adults.

During the early 1960s a psychologist named Diana Baumrind conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children. Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she identified the dimensions of parenting that translate into four parenting styles.

Which parenting style do you relate to:

Authoritarian Parenting
In this style of parenting, parents establish strict rules that their children are expected to follow. If the children do not obey the rules, they are punished. These parents have high demands and expect their rules to be followed without explanation.

The result: Children who are obedient and proficient, but rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem.

Authoritative Parenting
In this style of parenting, parents establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. This parenting style is democratic. These parents are responsive to their children, willing to listen to questions and are nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing.

The result: Children who are happy, capable and successful

Permissive Parenting
In this style of parenting, parents have few demands on their children. Permissive parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. They are nurturing and communicative and often take on the friend role instead of the parent role.

The result: Children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation. They are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school.

Uninvolved Parenting
In this style of parenting, parents have few demands, low responsiveness and little communication with their children. Uninvolved parents satisfy their child's basic needs but are detached from their life.

The result: children who lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than others.

We all love our children and want the best for them. We all have different thoughts and views on what constitutes good parenting. Parenting.com has a great test to determine your parenting style. Take the test today to discover your own approach to parenting.

SSMom