It seems that parenting styles are always evolving. One hundred years ago, children were expected to be seen and not heard. By the 1970s, that parenting style was long gone.
Today, it is commonly accepted that there are four parenting styles: controlling, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. Ask yourself which of the parenting styles you’re most familiar with as you read through the four styles. Here are the 4 types of parenting styles.
1. Controlling parenting is all about the rules.
There is little emphasis on understanding the motive behind the child’s actions, and the parents are often unresponsive to their child’s desire to understand the benefit of the rules. These are the, “my way or the highway” parents, who often use the Tiger Mom approach to parenting.
Is this you? You’re getting some things right, but making adjustments could help your children and your relationship with them.
Ways to do better: Take a look at The Secret to Becoming a Balanced Parent.
2. Authoritative parenting is the category of the “just right” parents.
They have rules, and they are willing to take the extra step of helping their children understand why these rules are good for them. They are responsive to their children and have realistic expectations of them.
Is this you? Well done! May we take notes?
Ways to do even better: Since you’re already on the right track, be wary of taking your responsive parenting too far and venturing into the helicopter parenting zone. Look at 4 Ways to Avoid Being a Helicopter Parent.
3. Permissive parenting has an “anything goes” bent.
Parents in this category don’t have many rules for their children and have low expectations for maturity and self-control. They are responsive to their children but take on the role of friend, more than that of a parent.
Is this you? Permissive parents have lots of love for their children, but often don’t realize that love without limits is actually detrimental.
Ways to do better: Setting boundaries is a great place to start for injecting loving limits into your children’s lives. Here are 3 Reasons Your Children Want Boundaries and Need Them. If you can incorporate appropriate boundaries into your children’s lives, you’ll move more into the more balanced, free range parenting category.
4. Uninvolved parenting describes parents who are detached and meet only the most basic needs of their children.
They are the “you’re on your own” parents.
Is this you? There are many life circumstances that can take our focus off of our children if we let them. If you feel like you’re an uninvolved mother start doing these simple things in our 30 Day Mom Challenge.
Here’s something else I’ve learned that applies to all of the parenting styles: your personal parenting approach has to develop as your child develops; parenting a 2-year-old is far different than parenting a 12-year-old or a teenager.
What type of parent are you?
