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The 4 Parenting Styles
The 4 Parenting Styles
The 4 Parenting Styles
Parenting Styles
Jeff Moon
CNSL 504
5/30/2011
Nicole Paul
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Parenting Styles
Parenting styles vary widely between families and potentially within a given family over
time, and impact the health of parent-child relationships and child emotional well-being. Diana
Baumrind (1966) summarized four types of parenting styles and their general effects within
The authoritarian parent is controlling (Baumrind, 1966). Control varies by degree per
family and culture (Crowley et al, 2009), and there is not necessarily an exact measure to
determine whether or not a parent is too controlling, but too much control has its drawbacks.
When a parent’s control shifts from self-control to child-control, child autonomy can decrease,
which is unhealthy. They might do well academically, but face frustration from experiences of
In the permissive parental setting, contrary to the authoritarian family, constraints are
lacking rather than extremely tight. Without proper limits on behavior and clear expectations
along with their predictable consequences, children’s acquiring appropriate self-control and
balanced parenting skills later in life is not modeled. Feedback might be lacking or missing,
leaving the young person to find his or her own resources and ways to discover how to mature.
Uninvolved parents’ behaviors resemble those of the permissive style in some respects, but
the results are potentially more damaging. In addition to lacking positive feedback, this style
might include negative feedback through disinterest or rejection (Feldman, 2008). Little healthy
modeling occurs, while unhealthy examples push developing children away and do not foster
The fourth parenting style, the authoritative style, is the most desirable of the four
(Feldman, 2008), generally the most likable and successful. These parents are strict, but not
controlling. They offer emotional support, but also encourage independence. Rather than
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imposing punishment, they are interested in teaching their children principles which they can
These parenting styles can apply to other areas of life, such as employment settings,
teacher-student relationships, and many other social settings. But probably the most impacting
situations are those within the home, especially during the developmental years.
Styles can change, and parents might shift between them. For example, parents who use
authoritarian techniques might learn that these methods are not the most effective, and adjust
accordingly. Or even at one point time, parents or older siblings within a family might use
differing approaches. Doing so can cause confusion and conflict between each other and the
Most parents likely sway between multiple parenting approaches, even at one point in time.
Since life involves a complex array of situations, our approaches require a large repertoire of
responses. As we experiment with different reactions, and assess the results, we try what we
think has worked in similar situations in an effort to gain the most desirable results. But we also
conduct these assessments through our own faulty thinking and unhealthy experiences, and
limited understanding. In different situations we pull from the various means at our disposal, so
The named parenting styles are not exhaustive, and they do not describe all the nuances of
parenting. They are not meant to, so this is not a fault. But this distinction is important to note,
because to place excess weight on any system is to omit necessary thoroughness that belongs in
human relationships. No framework is complete, and should be treated accordingly. The four
parenting styles are very effective, but must be taken as generalizations. When used
appropriately, they show very helpful trends and can assist people in various relationships to
become better in their roles. The most relevant application is most likely within parenting.
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References
Crowley, S., Donovick, M., Rodriguez, M., (2009). Parenting styles in a cultural context:
Feldman, R. S. (2008). Development across the life span (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.