Parenting styles affect children’s mental and social development and their sense of self-esteem. Therefore, parents must make sure that the methods they use support healthy growth and wellbeing. This is because the way parents interact with their children and how they discipline them has a long-lasting influence on their lives. Researchers have identified different types of nurturing approaches and these include authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. This paper determines that the authoritative parenting style is the most appropriate for ensuring the wellbeing of children.
Authoritative parents create and maintain positive relationships but they also enforce rules. They impose guidelines but explain the reason behind their instructions while also considering their children’s feelings. The parent validates the child’s emotions but also focuses on positive discipline strategies to reinforce good behavior. Conversely, authoritarian parents prefer punishment and obedience over discipline. They do not negotiate or value their children’s opinions (Bi et al., 2018). Youngsters are not allowed to participate in problem-solving processes, and the parent uses reprimands rather than teaching them how to make better choices. The authoritative style thus appears lenient as compared to the authoritarian one.
Permissive parents do not enforce rules and rarely give punishment, believing that children learn best with minimal interference. This childrearing style involves being a friend more than an adult as well as the use of minimal effort in discouraging bad behavior or poor choices. Indulgence creates an environment in which children’s needs are satisfied but the lack of discipline prevents the development of mature behavior.
Authoritative parenting is the best style because children grow up to become self-reliant, independent, well-mannered, and successful in life. This is because they learn the importance of following the rules and the ways of solving problems. They will, therefore, be less likely to participate in delinquent behavior or to report anxiety and depression (Bi et al., 2018). The approach is ideal because it emphasizes high standards, nurturing, responsiveness, and demonstrating that children can be independent and rational beings.
Some parents do not fit into just one parenting style and they adopt others depending on the situation. However, authoritative parenting is the most suitable for parents who want their children to acquire self-esteem and positive attitudes which will enable them to integrate effectively into academic and social life. Even for the parents who identify with other parenting styles more, it is possible to maintain positive relationships with the children while healthily establishing their authority.
Reference
Bi, X., Yang, Y., Li, H., Wang, M., Zhang, W., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2018). Parenting styles and parent–adolescent relationships: The mediating roles of behavioral autonomy and parental authority. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2187. Web.