What Sort of Parent Are You?

Your style of parenting can really and truly affect the type of adult that your child ends up becoming. If you handle a child too strictly, they will end up being too complaint and submissive and have little self-esteem too. They will play the victim through their entire lives. If you're too permissive and allow a child to get away with everything you may hamper the ability of your child to accept authority figures and understand that people have consequences for acting one particular way or the other. Children who act out when they don't get their own way may become more aggressive later on in life when they become adults.

Children who are brought up in a democratic setting tend to accept their personal responsibility because they are allowed to make certain decisions on their own and accept the consequences of their actions but they are also expected to behave respectfully too. Democratic parenting gives choices that are based on the abilities of a child but they do not affect the parents' right to intervene when a child makes a bad decision.

This is a review of the three main styles of parenting:

Authoritative Parenting.

This sort of parent will inform their children when they want things done and these children are meant to comply without questions. Children are not allowed to have independent minds under such authority and should comply without questioning whatever they are told.

Permissive Parenting.

This sort of parenting allows children to get away with anything that they come up with. Children of permissive parents are usually allowed to run about freely with little direction and no consequences to their actions at all. Such children tend to think that the entire world revolves around what they want and what they need.  

Democratic Parenting.

Democratic parenting tends to accommodate the best parts of the styles above in order to create a parenting style that is well-rounded and acceptable. Democratic parents tend to require good behavior but they acknowledge that their children tend to have their likes as well as dislikes and views about the world at large. They allow these children to voice an opinion as long as they do it properly. These children tend to maintain the upper hand with any decision making.

Children who are brought up with such methods are usually solid thinkers who tend to take control of their own lives without falling victim to spouses or employers who are overtly aggressive. They are also perfectly willing to take any responsibilities for their actions whether these are good or bad consequences.

Your style of parenting can have a drastic effect on the way that children see themselves as well as their place in the world and the future as well. You should take the time out to understand the temperament that you child has and yours before you choose a style or a mixture of styles that will work best for you and your children's education. In the end they will be all the better for it.