VII. Parenting
Do you think your parents have in any way affected your social development? Think about the following 3 types of parenting styles and see if you can identify traits of your parents within them. Most parents do not fall exactly in one single category. They may be permissive about watching TV, but authoritarian about dating. Parenting Styles Authoritarian parents impose rules and expect obedience. They do not typically tolerate any questioning of their authority. The danger with this type of parenting style is that once children leave home, they may rebel against the authority that has been placed on them. There is also the likelihood that these children could have difficulty setting their own limits, since limits have been set for them their whole life. These children can also do well if they adapt the more rigid beliefs of their parents. Permissive parents submit to their children’s desires, make few demands, and use little punishment. Children of these parents sometimes risk never learning what it is like to live with limits. This can cause trouble in school and later in life when limits are imposed on them. On the positive side, these children can do quite well if they learn to set their own limits and motivate themselves. Authoritative parents are both demanding and responsive. They expect their children to follow their rules, but want their children to understand the reasoning behind their rules. Children with the highest self-esteem, self-reliance, and social competence usually have warm, concerned, and authoritative parents. Studies in cultures worldwide reflect the positive correlates of authoritative parenting. The effects are stronger when children are embedded in authoritative communities with connected adults who model a good life. However, correlation is not causation. Socially mature and agreeable children may evoke authoritative parenting, or competent parents and their competent children may share genes that predispose social competence. Parenting and Culture Child-rearing practices reflect cultural values that vary across time and place. In Westernized cultures, parents prefer independence in their children. Many Asians and Africans live in cultures that value emotional closeness. Whatever the cultural preference, children across place and time have thrived under various child-rearing systems. The diversity in child-rearing cautions us against presuming that our culture’s way is the only way to rear children successfully. |
Vocabulary to Know
Authoritarian Parenting Permissive Parenting Authoritative Parenting |
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