Parenting is a great word - one that evokes both immense joy and fear. You cannot feel the joy without having foreboding thoughts about whether you would be able to handle the huge responsibility that God has entrusted you with. Can I be a good parent? This is one of the questions on the top of every parent's head; no matter how self-assured they look.



What Parenting Method Is the Best?

There are four major types of parenting, i.e. (i) uninvolved, (ii) indulgent, (iii) authoritarian and (iv) authoritative. Though some of these parenting methods can be learnt and absorbed, it usually happens naturally - depending upon the innate nature with which the parent is born. Before we learn and decide which one of these parenting methods is the best, let us understand each one of them.

Uninvolved Parent

This parenting method is usually reflected when the parent(s) do not really bother about what is going on in the life of the child. They provide the minimum necessities and do not bother about the psychological needs of the child. This type of parent has neither any demands nor response. The child is an incidental thing in the house.

Indulgent Parent

These types of parents are always there ready to do anything the child wants even before they ask for something. They take joy from being there all the time and have very few demands if any on the child. Here you will find two divisions - there are parents who like to consider their children as their friends and allow them liberties as they grow, and the other type, which allows the child to do as he/she pleases in the belief, that at the right time they will grow out of it and become responsible adults.

Authoritarian Parent

This type of parent is dictatorial. The child has no rights, no capacity to think what is right or wrong for him and hence, all the decisions need to be taken by the parent. Further, the child should unflinchingly obey all the rules that they impose. In this type too, there are two divisions, i.e. parents that recognize and accept certain boundaries that the child erects with age; and the other is who is overly intrusive and demanding.

Authoritative Parent

This is the most accepted parenting method. It involves being both demanding and responsive at the same time, which in turn keeps the parent in constant touch with the feelings, ambitions, fears and hopes of the child. This type of parent is like a rock in the child's life and at the same time is capable of instilling in him the core values of life.

Now, look at each of these descriptions and find out which type you are currently and which areas you want to improve in.