Four Major Parenting Styles
Authoritative
Authoritative
parenting style displays warm proactive teaching with calm discussion and
reasonable demands. Parents seem to be more involved and supportive of their
child’s activities, peers, and future (Feldman, 2008). They assist the needs of
their child with responsiveness (Gauvain & Huard, 1999) and recognize their
own distinct right of certain expectations they have for their child (Alizadeh,
Abu Talib, Abdullah, & Mansor, 2011). In return, this produces children to
have their own self-esteem, social skills, creativity, and responsibility
(Alizadeh, Abu Talib, Abdullah, & Mansor, 2011). A research study revealed
this about authoritative parenting.
“Authoritative parenting
style continues to influence children’s development in a positive ways beyond
childhood and also adolescence. Conceptually, the authoritative style parents have
both responsive and dimensions. Their children have fewer behavioral problems
and a high rate of academic achievement in school. Thus, with high demand and
responsiveness between parent and child, there will be less internalizing and
externalizing symptoms” (Alizadeh, Abu Talib, Abdullah, & Mansor, 2011, pg.
198).
As parents reveal authoritative behavior that
is shown to be more affective, the child is likely to exhibit obedience, self-sufficiency,
less drug use, and more future communication with their family (Gauvain &
Huard, 1999).
Authoritarian
Quite different of authoritative behavior, Feldman (2008)
describes parents who tend to use authoritarian style parenting are
controlling, punitive, and use strict obedience with clear limits. They are not
in autonomy with their children, nor enhance family involvement (Gauvain &
Huard, 1999). Parental control is key, thus punishment and forceful parenting
leads children to have low self-esteem, depression, and adult problems
(Alizadeh, Abu Talib, Abdullah, & Mansor, 2011) because they do not develop
a sense of self that can regulate their own behavior effectively leaving them
feeling unloved (Feldman, 2008).
Permissive
In
contrast, parenting with little to no control without expiations or authority
over children are patterns of a permissive parent. This form of parenting leads
to antisocial behavior with low cognitive development in middle childhood
because parents do not guide their children to make decisions on their own
(Alizadeh, Abu Talib, Abdullah, & Mansor, 2011). Lack of social interaction
leads to emotionally detached and less self-assertive children, (Feldman, 2008)
thus permissive parenting seems to contribute to poor self-identity.
Uninvolved
Like the permissive parent, the
uninvolved parenting style tends to have no direction and decision-making for
the future (Gauvain & Huard, 1999). The uninvolved parent style shows no
interest with rejection of providing essential basic needs for the child, thus
making it the most damaging form of parenting. In extreme cases uninvolved
parenting results in neglect and abuse, which disrupts their emotional and
cognitive development (Feldman, 2008). This can lead to an unsecure attachment
and many negative consequences of reduction of the amygdala and the hippocampus
in the developing brain and permanently be altered in adulthood, thus can
produce antisocial behavior during adulthood (Feldman, 2008).
How Self-esteem and Parenting Style Influences
Sense of Self
Elementary age children are still trying to respond to the
question, “who am I” to seek understanding of self and how able they are to
achieve, so parents who respond or do not respond to their needs at this time
can have a positive or negative impact on their self-esteem. Self-esteem is a
general emotional reflection of how we see ourselves in a positive or negative way
(Feldman, 2008). Parents that promote a child’s self-esteem are best
illustrated by authoritative parenting behavior with setting clear boundaries
and high performance expectations, thus giving the child a positive stability
(Feldman, 2008). There are many more factors that can contribute to negative
stability too.
There are many more blended and single parent homes than ever
before. There are more than 10 million homes in the United States with one
spouse is remarried (Feldman, 2008). In the year 2000, children less than 18
years-old were more likely to live with one parent. Compared to children in
1960 there were less than 10% of children living with one parent. Single
parenting compared to race, a White home 21%, 35% Hispanic and 55% African
Americans were single parents (Feldman, 2008). Both of these situations can be
challenging for children and families and can affect self-worth dependent on
the financial conditions (Feldman, 2008).
The present research has restrictions regarding many
other factors that generate self-esteem issues besides parenting styles related
to children’s behavior. It is important to generate other environment influences
as mentioned of culture, race, and gender. Another consideration, most parents
are not entirely consistent with parenting skills, thus producing inconstant
parenting (Feldman, 2008). For example, future research could investigate what
the outcome of the child raised by two parents of two different parenting
styles. We do know there is significant correlation of self-concept and
parenting styles and authoritative style is most effective.
