Parenting style is a trait of the parent that is consistent over time, constituting the child-rearing and socialization atmosphere and emotional background. It provides a context against which children can perceive specific behaviors of parenting. According to Rhee et al. (2006), there are four basic parenting styles. These include Authoritative style, Authoritarian style, Permissive style, and Neglectful style. The style of parenting may have a more significant impact than selected parenting practices. Notably, that influences a child’s everyday activities, actions, emotional functioning, and ultimate overweight risk. Based on the description of the four parenting styles, I agree with the Authoritative parenting style the most.
In the Authoritative parenting style, the parents have a high demand for self-control and maturity from their children. The Authoritative parenting style exhibits high sensitivity levels with a prevalent involvement and emotional warmth toward the children. Through the give and take between the child and the parent, the child’s opinions and worth are acknowledged by the parent while maintaining viable limits. It is thus considered to be ideal due to the much improvement in the child’s outcome. The authoritarian parenting style has a strict disciplinarian and a high expectation of the child’s self-control from the parent but a low sensitivity. However, the Authoritarian parenting style does not necessarily involve clear boundaries between the child and the parent.
On the other hand, Permissive parenting features low expectations from the parents on the child’s discipline and self-control in a setting with a high degree of warmth and high sensitivity. In most cases, children subjected to Permissive parenting have more self-confidence but with low self-control levels than those raised under the Authoritative parenting style. In Neglectful parenting, the sensitivity and demands on the child’s self-control are extremely low. Children under Neglectful parenting usually have high depression levels and are highly involved in drug and substance abuse leading to poor performance and psychosocial development.
Reference
Rhee, K. E., Lumeng, J. C., Appugliese, D. P., Kaciroti, N., & Bradley, R. H. (2006). Parenting styles and overweight status in first grade. Pediatrics, 117(6), 2047-2054.