Editor’s Note: Good Morning, today early childhood educator Heather Magdanz is here to talk shop about parenting. She’s got some interesting insight into why we all parent the way we do… food for thought. Here she is:

Have you ever considered what kind of parent you are? Come on… who thinks about that really?

It is busy enough as it is, and anyway we all know children do not come with instructions. It is unfortunate that we don’t get handed a manual (kinda like a young driver who just has to pass the test and “wella” they’re on the road!) or be required to take some kind of course/exam to help us feel confident and competent in our daily roles as parents.

That being said… there are courses to take, and oodles of resources to get our hands on, not to mention the influx of advice from family and friends. But again that takes time and how do you know that your’e doing the right thing anyway.

Child-rearing practices differ greatly. It really all depends on how you were brought up yourself and what you’re biases and beliefs are that make you parent a specific way. Most importantly, your child’s personality and temperament may also help determine which style you are most likely to follow.

Psychologists and social scientists describe three distinct parenting styles with the AUTHORITATIVE winning best dressed! This consistant approach is deemed the most beneficial for a child’s development and positive long lasting outcomes (especially for future academics).

The following are a snapshot of the three styles:

AUTHORITARIAN: Parents are demanding and always try to be in charge,”These parents set strict rules to try to keep order, and they usually do this without much expression of warmth or affection. They attempt to set strict standards of conduct and are usually very critical of children for not meeting those standards. They tell children what to do, they try to make them obey, and they usually do not provide children with choices or options”**

PERMISSIVE: This style appears nuturing and accepting but,”permissive parents give up most control to their children. Parents make few, if any, RULES, and the rules that they make are not consistently enforced. They don’t want to be tied down to routines. They want their children to feel free. They do not set clear boundaries or expectations for their children’s behaviour and tend to accept in a warm and loving way, however the child behaves.” **

AUTHORITATIVE OR DEMOCRATIC: have the most adaptive style of parenting… a balance between setting reasonable limits/ demands and enforcing them with warmth and affection. They,”help children learn to be responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their behavior. Parents do this by providing clear, reasonable expectations for their children and explanations for why they EXPECT their children to behave in a particular manner. They do this in a warm and loving manner. They often, “try to catch the child being good” and reinforcing the good behaviour, rather than the bad.”**

Whatever your style may appear to be… just embrace it! Don’t change to accommodate every challenging situation. Love, consistency, and a good sense of humour will always win out!

Reference
**develop-good-parenting-skills.com