What Type of Parent Are You?

There's no right or wrong way to parent but your parenting style can strongly influence the failure or success of your child. Let's take a look at three basic styles of parenting which were identified in 1966 by psychologist Diana Blumberg Baumrind.

Authoritarian Parents are "too hard." They have a tendency to over-control their children, with absolute rules and standards. They emphasize a high degree of control, which may be void of warmth and trust. This parenting style may cause a child to feel rejected and isolated. Children of authoritarian parents may have poorly developed social skills and have a tendency to remain dependent on their parents.



Permissive Parents are "too soft" and are the opposite of authoritarian parents. They show their child considerable warmth and affection, are generally very accepting, exercise a low level of control over their children, and make very few demands upon their children. Children of permissive parents tend to become moderately independent and achieve modest degrees of social success.


Authoritative parents fall in-between these two extremes. They have considerable control over their children but they also exhibit warmth and affection and seem to have appropriate expectations for their children. Their children tend to be independent and socially successful. This is the style most recommended by parenting experts.




The way you parent your child may be one of these styles or it may be a combination. If you're unhappy with the way you are parenting I encourage you to consult with a parenting coach or a therapist to learn techniques to parent in a more authoritative style.