| The life of a parent undergoes a dramatic change with | | | | nurtured such qualities, and then came up with two |
| the birth of a child and it requires that he or she need | | | | factors, which are responsiveness or warmth as well |
| to make certain decisions like choosing between bottle | | | | as supportiveness, and demandingness or control of |
| or breast, carriage or stroller, continuing work or staying | | | | the child's behavior. |
| home, employing a nanny or opting for day care. | | | | The four major parenting styles they found were |
| With children growing up, these decisions continue to | | | | authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and uninvolved. |
| change and parents need to decide on the school the | | | | After further research, they came to conclude that the |
| child must attend, their meals, allowances, after-school | | | | best adjusted children, especially when it came to |
| activities and more. All these decisions are dependent | | | | social competence, were children of parents that |
| on the parenting style and attitude which will influence | | | | belonged to an authoritative, moderate parenting style. |
| how the child is taught and learns to socialize. | | | | Such parents were able to balance high demands with |
| A Complicated Matter with No Easy Answers | | | | emotional responsiveness as well as respect for the |
| Parenting is a complicated matter with no easy | | | | autonomy of their children. |
| answers available, and many different interactions | | | | In contrast, parents that are too strict expect their |
| concerning certain actions and attitudes on the part of | | | | children to accept parental judgments without |
| parents need to be put together which will affect the | | | | argument and do not allow much freedom to the child. |
| development of the child. Such a broad overall pattern | | | | Children under such parenting style influences will be |
| of parental actions are termed as a parenting style; not | | | | reliant on authority and will not be able to show much |
| a single act. | | | | spontaneity. Authoritative parents, in sharp contrast, |
| Parenting styles may differ and they were best | | | | allow their children freedom of expression and |
| described by Diana Baumrind as well as other | | | | encourage a sense of independence in their children. |
| researchers in child development. They sought out | | | | Parenting style can influence the child and it has been |
| qualities in children that were most desirable such as | | | | found that children of authoritarian mothers were five |
| innocence, maturity, independence, self-reliance, | | | | times more likely to be overweight as compared to |
| curiosity, self-control, friendliness as well as | | | | authoritative mothers, while children of permissive or |
| achievement orientation and they further quizzed | | | | uninvolved parents were three times more at risk. |
| parents to ascertain which elements of parenting | | | | |