Family is the first school for children and plays an important role in the development and building of a healthy social fabric. There are four different kinds of parenting including: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and uninvolved styles.
The best is authoritative parenting, Mehr news agency quoted Dr. Mansoureh Sadeghi, psychologist and faculty member of Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University, as saying.
In authoritarian style, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by parents. Failure to comply usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind the rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, “Because I said so.” These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. Authoritarian parenting generally makes children who are obedient and proficient; but they rank lower in happiness, social competence and self-esteem.
More Democratic
Like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is far more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to answer questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, they are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative. Authoritative parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful.
Indulgent
Permissive parents, sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent. Such parenting often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation and they are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school.
An uninvolved parenting style is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness and little communication. While these parents fulfill the child’s basic needs, they are generally detached from their child’s life. In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children. Uninvolved parenting styles rank lowest across all life domains. These children tend to lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than their peers.
