Three Styles of Parenting

In the 1960s and ‘70s, Diana Baumrind organized several studies that sought to discover whether there were different styles of parenting, what those styles were, and whether the different styles affected children in different ways. She and her colleagues categorized the three styles of parenting in the following way:

Authoritarian Parenting
The authoritarian parent places the highest value in the obedience of his/her child. The parent plays the role of complete authority, and the child is expected to follow rules and comply with limits, without argument or discussion. When the child disobeys or defies the parent, punishment is the resulting course of action.

Permissive Parenting
The permissive parent places the highest value in the child’s acquisition of his/her wants and needs. Children are allowed and expected to control their own behavior, with few guidelines and restrictions thereof.

Authoritative Parenting
Authoritative parents place equal value on positive behavior and on the general happiness and well-being of the child. These parents have high expectations for their children’s behavior, and they play an active role in supporting positive choices by setting limits, monitoring, and following through with consequences when the child has pushed the boundaries. In addition to demanding positive behavior, authoritative parents are highly responsive to their children’s needs, and they communicate this by creating a warm and supportive climate, communicating their reasonable expectations in an open and direct manner, and allowing the child the freedom to express his/her own expectations and desires.