Balakumar
Parenthood is a wonderful phase of life—also the most interesting. When you welcome a little human in your life, your responsibilities are increased. Not just the duties, but you are supposed to raise a human being. That’s indeed a lot of work! But, the personality of your child is totally dependent on how you raise her.
What kind of a parent you are, and how much do you bond with your kids is associated with their growth and development. Your parenting style is supporting and nourishing the development of your child. The way you discipline her will influence her for the rest of her life.
Being a parent is incredibly important to evaluate how you are doing as a parent. Besides, your parenting style doesn’t need to be the same as your other friend or colleague. Every kid is different, and similarly, every parent has their own style.
The theory of Diane Baum rind states four different types of parenting. Let’s learn about the four Baum rinds parenting guide for new parents and you can evaluate which type is your style.
Permissive Parenting:
Permissive parents let their children do whatever they want to do. However, they do set the rules, but they don’t force the children to follow them. As per indulgent parents, they want their children to learn on their own, and they think interfering in their space will not let them explore.
You might be a permissive parent if you are lenient with almost everything and only step when there is a problem. Moreover, such types of parents are also forgiving; they have quite a chill attitude towards their kids. Also, children of permissive parents get everything easily, whether it’s a gadget or any other such thing.
Permissive parents are more like friends, and they are extremely open and talk to their children about the problems. However, they do not really encourage the kids about good choices and behavior.
The majority of the time, children who grow up with such parents are more likely to perform poorly in terms of academics. Besides, they have behavioral problems as well, as they do not like to be criticized. Also, such kids do not like to follow the rules and do not respect them as well.
Permissive parents let their kids eat junk; there is no rule of healthy eating, leading to health problems and obesity. Also, kids suffer from numerous dental problems and severe cavities.
Authoritative Parenting:
If you demand high from your kids and are incredibly responsive—you are an authoritative parent. Such parents have high expectations from their children in terms of academics, co-curricular activities, maturity, etc. However, they are responsive to all their needs and are welcoming and warm.
Authoritative parents have rules and values for everything. They tend to set standards for their children to make them disciplined. Besides, they take children’s opinions into account; they are open to suggestions and do not enforce their choice.
Such parents invest time and energy in building their children’s lives and expect to get good results. Also, they introduce a reward system from an early age—this strategy motivates the kids to perform better in life.
According to research, authoritative parents raise responsible adults who comfortably express their opinions and are open to criticism. Also, they are more disciplined in life and are more likely to be good decision-makers.
Uninvolved Parenting:
If you amongst those parents, who do not ask their child about school, homework, activities, etc. also, you hardly spend time with your child and barely know any of their friends—unfortunately, you are an uninvolved parent.
This might come as a bit harsh, but uninvolved parents tend to have little or no knowledge about their children and their whereabouts. Such children may not receive the required guidance and attention.
Uninvolved parents expect their children to do their own things. They do not invest time and energy in their kids. However, they are neglectful, but they do not do it intentionally. In the majority of the cases, the uninvolved parents are suffering through mental health issues or substance problems.
Moreover, there are times when the parents are overbooked with their work, managing the household, which becomes the core reason for their negligence. Children having uninvolved parents are more likely to have behavioral problems, and they cannot concentrate on their academics. Also, they are poor decision-makers and rank low in happiness.
Authoritarian Parenting:
Authoritarian parents want their kids to follow all the rules without any exception. Also, they believe that kids should be seen and not heard. From them, the kids have no choice of their own, and they have to follow the parents.
Because “I said so” is a favorite sentence of an authoritative parent. They are least bothered in negotiation and do not care about what the child feels. Also, they do not let their children get involved in any kind of problems and challenging situations.
Such parents are habitual of giving punishment to their children. Instead of making the kid understand what is wrong and right, they make the kid feel sorry and guilty about their mistake.
Children who are raised by authoritarian parents are low on self-esteem and confidence. They are always afraid of making decisions and standing up for themselves. In the majority of the cases, such kids become aggressive and rebellious. Also, such kids become good liars, and they are always finding a way to escape.
What should be the ideal parenting style?
Rather than focusing on the ideal parenting style, raise your children using a combination of styles. Think of the four styles as four different ways to parent, changing as per the situation. You might be an authoritarian parent who is extremely right on their side, but your children might want more than that—they might want you to listen to them. There should be variety in parenting, not much strictness and not ultimate freedom. There should be a balance with everything—rules, freedom, demands, expectations, etc. Parenting is a two-way process, and you need to focus on what your child is demanding.
