Being a parent is a demanding and responsible task. Not everyone is prepared enough for this role. There is a growing number of babies coming from an unwanted pregnancy, who later on suffer from little affection from their parents. That’s why the decision to have a child should always be well-thought and coveted by both adults, who already lead a stabilised life and are able to meet the baby’s basic needs. It would be ideal if the couple got married and started a family in their own flat or house, where they could live together in the favourable conditions to bring up their offspring.
According to ParentCenterNetwork experts, building a close and loving relationship with your child is crucial in terms of their mental and physical development. Whereas mothers usually act instinctively, fathers need more time to adapt to a new situation. Many young couples try to prepare themselves for childbirth through reading parent magazines or going to antenatal classes. But have you ever wondered what type of parent you are? Actually, there are four types of parenting, from which you can choose the model that suits you the best. Let’s take a look.
Authoritarian
The first type of parent is authoritarian. As the name itself implies, authoritarian parents are usually rigorous and demanding. They like to call the shots, impose rules on their kid, and have them under full control. Although such an approach may be practical, your child will feel frightened and stressed all the time. They would like to impress their parents, for example, getting good grades at school, simultaneously being shy, isolated and having more chances of suffering from depression. This parent-child relation is quite controversial since parents are the only people at home who should be listened to. Any resistance against them may backfire on the innocent child.
Moreover, this type of parents tends to limit children’s freedom, not allowing them to do what they want. So, for instance, if a teenager would like to go for a weekend outing beyond the city, they may openly disagree.Authoritative
Authoritative
Another type of parenting is called authoritative, and it’s based more on the rule of “give-and-take”. These parents like to command respect, but they are much warmer and communicative than authoritarian parents. They are also more open to children’s needs and requests. The most important thing for them is always to find the balance between children’s independence and their own worries and desires.
What’s more, they try to be assertive towards their kids and show them how to say “NO” in daily situations. They are good role models for their children who would like to follow in their footsteps. The kids from such a family usually perform well at school, are more self-confident and happier.
Permissive
The third type of parents has the label of being permissive. What does it mean? They try to be more like pals for their kids rather than their actual parents. They think they’ll be more respected and trusted this way. Therefore, they are usually lenient and avoid confrontation, not telling children what they did wrong, agreeing on every idea, and meeting all their demands, also material ones. Such a responsive attitude is effective, but only temporarily. In most cases, children start praying on your good heart and indulgence.
These parents frequently behave like that because they want to compensate for what they themselves lacked in childhood. If they had strict authoritarian parents who didn’t provide them with their whims, now they want to be different and better parents. But the truth is that they harm their kids, who in their adult lives may become bossy consumers and materialists.
Uninvolved
An uninvolved parent is an opposite extreme to the authoritarian one. Such people don’t engage themselves seriously in bringing up children. They are indifferent and usually give kids absolute freedom. In the long run, it can even transform into total neglect, which is extremely harmful to the child’s growth, who may feel not loved and left alone with all their problems. Uninvolved parents don’t try to be caring and supportive.
If kids ask them for permission, they may agree on everything without hesitation. Such a liberal and indifferent attitude may result in serious problems, like bullying, smoking, drinking, or even taking drugs.
Therefore, both authoritarian and uninvolved types of parenting seem to have many flaws, which may have detrimental effects on children’s behaviour, well-being and general development. The best option is an authoritative model of parenting in which parents’ purpose is to find the golden mean between the requirements towards children and children’s needs. Now, you should be ready to establish what type of parent you are and how it affects your child’s personality and behaviour. Sometimes it’s good to think twice before saying or doing something in front of your children since you set an example for them.
