What Type Of Parent Will You Be?

Ever since you were little, you couldn't wait to raise a family. Your parents always said, "Sam, you will be the most nurturing mother", or "Daniel, you are going to grow up and be just like your father". But do we really know the type of parent we will be before we have children? What type of child-rearing styles will you gravitate to?

The four styles of child-rearing are Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive and Uninvolved. Between the four, there are consistently different approaches of parent behaviors from effective to less effective styles. What type of parent do you want to be portrayed as when those babies start coming?

Authoritative?

Authoritative parenting is often the most successful approach of parenting styles. There is a clear balance between parental demands involving emotional responsiveness and recognition of child autonomy (Darling, 1999). Parents are warm, responsive, attentive and sensitive to their child's opinions. They set rules and boundaries but also are responsive to the child's views(Berk, 298). Isn't keeping a close connection and having an enjoyable relationship between parent and child exactly what everyone wants?

Michaela Kindle

You want your child to grow up to be respectful and mature. Authoritative parents set demands that have firm, reasonable control over their children. While dealing with disciplinary actions, they use that punishment period as a "teaching mechanism" to help promote self-regulation (Berk, 398).

But wait.... this type of parenting lets children do what they want as well?

With appropriate autonomy granting, children are able to become more independent and make decisions on their own when they are ready to do so (Hemmelgarn, 2011).

Authoritarian

Being low in acceptance and involvement, the Authoritarian parenting involves the opposite of authoritative which is low autonomy. This parent consecutively makes decisions for their children and very often listens to their points of view (Berk, 399).

Parents tend to be cold and rejecting. This may involve yelling, screaming, commanding orders, criticizing child's behaviors or possibly threatening actions toward their child (Berk, 399).

Making demands over their children may turn into forceful punishment. These types of parents don't allow for communication between these situations. Children are unable to voice the thoughts and are to accept the decisions made for them. As some might notice, love is then withdrawn between parent and child (Berk, 399).

Permissive

This type of parenting may be warm and accepting but has little child involvement. Sometimes this is known as the "spoiling" parenting style. Parents tend to either overindulge in a child's life, for example being their best friend. Or they are inattentive, which allows them to do whatever they like with few or no demands of control (Lloyd, 2).

Permissive parents are more responding that demanding (Darling, 1999). Before a child is ready to take on independence, parents allow them to make choices on their own.

Uninvolved

Want to have no role in your child's life? Uninvolved parents have low acceptance and involvement when parenting. They also have little to no control over what their child does. The emotions between parent and child are nonexistent which makes it difficult to build a relationship (Berk, 400).

Many parents are often stressed and overwhelmed with other life priorities. This emotional detachment towards their children leaves them at a level of stress, permitting them from having time and energy to attend to their children (Berk, 400).

So, what parent will you be? The loving, nurturing, wanting what is best for your kids, or little to no involvement in what your child does?