Let's face it, in the western world, society today dictates families need to be a two income environment which means either parent spends less time with their children because of work committments and third party carers have come more into play. How about single parenting situations? Similar story here I suspect.



We've come a long way since Diana Baumrind made some interesting observations about parenting style, categorizing styles into four main areas: authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent and uninvolved. Is the way a child adapts to society reflective of the type of parenting style they've been subjected to?

Authoritative

Authoritative parenting is considered the most desirable style with parents being both demanding and responsive. The child is expected to adhere to disciplines laid down within the household however, they are encouraged to develop their own personalities through less restrictive policies which give them a voice within the family.

The guidelines laid down don't smother the child to the extent they have no right of reply to certain situations. In other words, there is a certain amount of mutual support, trust and co-operation existing within an authoritative parenting household.

Authoritarian

Authoritarian parenting on the other hand is highly demanding yet parents are considered unresponsive. It's a little like strict military discipline where what the parent says goes and the child has no right of reply. In a sense, they are repressed and ruled by fear. Studies indicate children from an authoritarian environment are less likely to develop independent tendencies and be less assertive.

Uninvolved Or Indulgent

At the other end of the spectrum, uninvolved parents are exactly that, non-demanding, unresponsive and almost neglectful in their duties as a parent, while indulgent parents are extremely responsive yet lack a little in the area of discipline. Parents lumped in this category tend to want to avoid confrontational situations and the child, "which has them pegged," usually gets what he/she wants.

So what parenting style do you fall under? Obviously most of us would like to be considered a little authoritative in our approach but has society's modern trends had an effect on the way we raise our children?

Children are so impressionable at a young age and the early years are vital. A child's personality could be as much as 90% developed by the time they are seven years of age.

Parenting style certainly makes for an interesting debating point, doesn't it?