The Four Parenting Styles
Many experts recognize four parenting styles:
-
Authoritative parents have high expectations and goals for their kids. These are tempered with an understanding of their kids’ limits. These parents are willing to communicate flexibly. This can make parent-child communication easier.
-
Neglectful parenting can mean a lack of time spent with the child. Neglectful parents may be unfamiliar with their kids’ teachers and friends. They may not care for their kids’ basic needs.
-
Permissive parents are nurturing, loving, and supportive. But they can take this too far. Permissive parents may avoid conflict at any cost. They rarely enforce their own rules. Doing this can be harmful for children, as they thrive on routine.
-
Authoritarian is not the same as authoritative parenting. Authoritarian parents are strict and demanding with their children. Their parenting style is not often flexible. They generally rely on punishment to maintain obedience. There is rarely room for open communication between parents and kids.
