Parenting style determines how the parent interacts with their child. The method of parenting becomes more apparent during crises. The approach employed by a parent determines the character and personality of the child as they grow (Santrock, 2008). Some of the most common parenting styles include authoritarian, permissive-indulgent, authoritative, and uninvolved. Authoritarians are known for their strictness and the tendency to control their children. They seek justice and want their children to remain obedient. Authoritative parents also assert control and authority (Rodrigo, Byrne, & Rodríguez, 2014). However, they tend to demonstrate signs of warmth and communication towards their children. They want to strike a balance between their authority and the child’s independence. Permissive-indulgent parents are naturally accepting and warm to their children. However, they have few demands which they require from their children. The uninvolved parent demands little and gives almost nothing to their children. They guarantee maximum benefits to their young ones (Rodrigo et al., 2014).
If my 9-year-old and 11-year-old want to play PlayStation games all the time, the most appropriate style to use is authoritative. Whereas these children require a sense of control and authority, they also need warmth and communication to know that they have to balance between studying, chores, and playing video games. The same parenting style would be used to when my fifth-grade child rarely does their homework and are distracted in class. The authority should be balanced with warmth to remind them that they are not being punished.
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For my 10-year-old girl wishing to know why I won’t let her wear make-up, crop tops, and earrings despite her friends doing so, a permissive-indulgent approach will be more appropriate compared to the rest of the strategies. I will need to demonstrate a certain degree of acceptance and warmth in her idea but also provide her with irreducible minimums. For instance, she has to wait for the right age and ensure that she remains decent and smart. Whereas she has all the freedom to be fashionable, it would be wrong to break social codes for dressing. If I find that a sixth-grader has removed some cans of beer from the fridge, the best approach would be an authoritarian model. The child needs to be strictly controlled without compromise to ensure that they do not come near alcohol whatsoever.
An authoritarian parenting regime should also be placed on a third-grader that sprinkles swearwords in their conversation. The child needs to undergo strict control, especially when he does so under the influence of their peers. Swearwords can be embarrassing especially when a child is used to them. It is also a sign that the child has poor or inadequate parenting. Thus, a strict policy of parenting with rules and regulations could help in reforming the child. An authoritative approach would work well for a fourth-grader insisting on expensive brands of clothes when I cannot afford the price. Although the parents need to be strict on them, it is essential to demonstrate warmth especially when providing reasons why their demands cannot be achieved at the moment. They will also need to be assured that their desires would be met in the future.
A permissive-indulgence approach will be taken for a second-grader, insisting that they no longer need a baby-sitter. I will need to demonstrate warmth and acceptance by showing a sense of delight in their newly-acquired confidence. However, based on my assessments and evaluations, I will make few demands to the child reminding them that they have to convince me of their supposed independence. The same will apply to sixth-grader thinking that she is old enough to date a ninth-grader. Whereas her independence should be guaranteed, she has to properly understand the benefits and harms of dating at such a young age and thereby make informed choices.
References
Rodrigo, M. J., Byrne, S., & Rodríguez, B. (2014). Parenting styles and child well-being. Handbook of child well-being: Theories, methods, and policies in global perspective, 2173-2196.
Santrock, J. W. (2008). A topical approach to lifespan development (M. Ryan, Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.(Original work published 2002), pgs, 26(30), 478.
