Four Basic Parenting Styles Explained

Four basic parenting styles make up the way most people raise their families. Some methods are positive, while others have their flaws.

The four basic parenting styles that encompass most families include: permissive, authoritative, authoritarian, and uninvolved. Most people consider their parenting style a mix of two or three types. Usually, however, one style shows up more frequently in the way they create rules and enforce those rules. 

This article will help if you want to know which of the four basic parenting styles most represent you and assist you striving to be a good parent.

Permissive Parenting Style

Permissive parents fail to set consistent limits, and when they do make rules, they tend to back down on the rules when the child questions them. Out of the four basic parenting styles, permissive parents indulge their children more frequently than others. Usually, this type of parent acts calm and quiet, but once they get angry, they become explosive.

Although permissive parents indulge their children, the kids feel unsafe and insecure about themselves. Children in these homes grow up to be overly dramatic and sometimes highly disturbed.

Authoritative Parenting Style

Authoritative parents provide rules and regulations for their homes and stick to their guns. While they dish out appropriate punishments for children who break the rules, they also realise that their children are individuals and need respect.

Out of all four basic parenting styles, most experts view the authoritative style as the best and most productive for families. Families using this method turn out children with high self-esteem and the least amount of behavioural problems than any other style.

Authoritarian Parenting Style

An authoritarian parent may appear to care little about a child’s individuality and more about obedience. They create strict rules and schedules and follow through with harsh punishment and consequences if the children disobey or throw a tantrum. Sometimes this can include physical discipline.

Children from authoritarian homes tend to have lower self-esteem than those from other backgrounds. They also more prone to being obese and suffering from depression. Although these children appear to mainly respect and listen to rules, they only do so-so in school and lack strong social skills. Eventually, they may rebel and go off the rails, causing mayhem in their lives and those of their family.

Uninvolved Parenting Style

Uninvolved parents neither set rules nor react to poor behaviour. Of the four basic parenting styles, this one most borders on neglect. They care nothing about their children’s performance in school or whether they have a positive social life or not. Often, children of uninvolved parents feel rejected and unloved. They may lash out or act the goat in order to get any kind of attention from others, whether positive or negative. 

All four styles, permissive, authoritative, authoritarian and uninvolved, describe parents all over the world. Knowing which type of parent you are and what influence that can have on your children helps shape the mother or father you become in the future. Each parenting style can affect a child’s life, both positively and negatively.