Questions: Family & Friends

As you can see from the image above, Baumrind's four parenting styles can be broken down as follows:

Authoritarian - a restrictive, punishment-heavy parenting style in which parents make their children follow their directions with little to no explanation or feedback and focus on the child's and family's perception and status. Corporal punishment, such as spanking, and shouting are forms of discipline frequently preferred by authoritarian parents.

Permissive - try to be "friends" with their child, and do not play a parental role. The expectations of the child are very low, and there is little discipline. Permissive parents also allow children to make their own decisions, giving them advice as a friend would. This type of parenting is very lax, with few punishments or rules. Tend to give their children whatever they want and hope that they are appreciated for their accommodating style.

Rejecting-Neglecting - do not set limits or monitor their behavior and are unsupportive of them. Parents are often focused on their own needs over their child’s.

Authoritative - characterized by a child-centered approach that holds high expectations of maturity. Authoritative parents can understand how their children are feeling and teach them how to regulate their feelings. Even with high expectations of maturity, authoritative parents are usually forgiving of any possible shortcomings. They often help their children to find appropriate outlets to solve problems. Authoritative parents encourage children to be independent but still place limits on their actions.

How did your parent's parenting style effect you growing up and now that you are an adult? If you are a parent, which style do you tend to use?