Influence of Authoritative Parenting Style

Parenting styles say a lot about the way your child behaves all his life. Your behavior with your child decides your parenting style. According to Diana Baumrind, there are four types of parents, who decide four types of parenting styles. These are authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting, indulgent parenting and neglectful parenting.

Out of all these, authoritative parenting pays off greatest rewards and give both, parent and the child a chance to build a long-lasting and a trustworthy relationship all their lives. This style is broadly defined as, the parent being demanding and responsive, which brings about a balanced upbringing.

Let's take a look at what is the influence of authoritative parenting style and how it benefits the child at a much later stage in life.

Authoritative parenting refers to a parenting style, wherein the parent is proactively involved in child's mental and physical growth. Thus, it is a very child centered approach, which aims at raising a happy child. In the initial stages of childhood, parents are the only world that children have. Thus, when a parent makes an effort to be with the child, spend quality time, make some of the fondest memories, it automatically culminates into happy household and a happy child.

An authoritative parent strives to make the child independent, but does bring a few restrictions and controls on him. They demand maturity while problem solving, which teaches the child to be insightful and objective while solving certain issues and ensuring mistakes are not repeated again.

As the child is intentionally monitored, possibilities of high risk behavior or chronic stress and tantrums is reduced to a large extent. Although kids have the freedom to voice their opinions, it is parents who will have the final decision. This also helps in making children think by themselves, which keeps the negative effects of peer pressure at bay.

Understanding your child is one of the biggest challenge of parenting in modern times. An authoritative parent encourages the child to talk about his feelings and emotions and treats the problem with total respect.

Children of authoritative parents are emotionally well-developed, as the quality communication helps them reducing unrecognized stress, anger and frustration. The nurturing and friendly attitude of parents towards their children, goes a long way in building a relationship of trust. Thus, rebellious streak in children during teenage is sobered down.

Also, as authoritative parents make it a habit to explain mistakes, punishments are received with a complete understanding. An emotional balance is established at a very young age, because emotions are understood and reciprocated by the parents.

As open dialog and free channels of communication are the underlie of authoritative parenting, it develops an ability to handle their emotions. Thus, they grow up as adults with better social conduct, which is seen through respect for elders, better tolerance levels, maturity and good decision-making skills.

Also these kids are better than a lot of their peers as they are independent in thought and sentiment, which also makes them good leaders in times to come. Authoritative parenting also teaches kids to take up household responsibilities, resolve conflicts with peers, value things in life and most importantly do all of this with confidence.

By far, authoritative parenting is one of the most effective parenting style. The influence of authoritative parenting is seen through responsible adults, who can raise good families. Such type of parenting, which treats children with respect and love, allows them the freedom of making mistakes and learning from them, and helps them express their most innate emotions that goes a long way in making a society which understands the objectivity.