By Mara Miller
Celebrity parents Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith encourage their children to show their creative sides and allow their kids to make their own decisions as long as they have a sound reason for doing it. Julie Bowen believes you shouldn’t be your kid’s best friend. Whether you’re a laissez-faire parent, or super strict, in this parenting advice, we’ll look at four parenting styles and how they can affect your kids!
Check out our parenting advice on various types of parenting styles.
The type of parent you are has a lot to do with the type of person your child will turn into as an adult. It can affect everything from their weight to how they will treat other people (bullying vs. non-bullying, anyone?). Your kids rely on you not only to show them how to take out the trash or do the dishes but how their choices can have positive or negative consequences. Keep in mind that you might not fall into any one category as a parent. Parenting styles can blend depending on how old your children are and the mood you’re in. So don’t feel bad if you’re a permissive parent one day and an authoritative another day.
1. Authoritarian: Authoritarian parents are the ones who force their children to do as they say. “Because I said so” is a common phrase used with this parenting style. Kids aren’t allowed to do anything without their parent’s permission and feelings are not taken into consideration. Studies show kids who grow up with super strict parents are excellent at following the rules but it comes at a price. They grow up thinking that their opinions don’t count and suffer from high self-esteem problems. They also may grow to be excellent liars in order to avoid punishment.
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2. Authoritative: Unlike authoritarian parents, authoritative parents enforce their rules, but they also take their children’s feelings into consideration even though the parents are still involved. Children have consequences for bad behavior, but they also get rewarded for good behavior. Kids who grow up with authoritative parents tend to be well-rounded adults who are happy and successful. They have no problems making decisions on their own because they are able to evaluate the risks involved in any choices they make. Studies show that this is the best type of parenting style.
Related Link:Â Parenting Advice: 5 Ways to Talk to Your Child About Bullying
3. Permissive: Permissive parents set rules but they rarely enforce them. They don’t like to hand out consequences for their children’s behavior. They encourage their children to talk to them about their problems but there isn’t a lot of effort made to influence their child’s behavior one way or the other. They try to act more like a friend to their child rather than an actual parent. In fact, being liked by their child is more important than enforcing punishment for this type of parent. Studies show children with permissive parents tend to struggle academically and poor eating habits. Kids with permissive parents may struggle with obesity and dental issues because their parents don’t want to enforce healthy eating habits.
4. Uninvolved: An uninvolved parent simply isn’t involved at all. These types of parents tend to be neglectful, but it isn’t always because they don’t care about their children. They may be overworked or stressed by other events happening in their lives. They may also lack knowledge of child development. This type of parent expects their children to raise themselves and are not involved in their child’s decision-making process. Studies show that kids with uninvolved parents tend to have bad grades and misbehave in school. They also tend to develop self-esteem issues.
What kind of parent are you? Let us know in the comments below!
