Parenting Styles in US - from Authoritative to Helicopter (1)

Following recent trends of Parenting Style in Japan, which can be a good representative of the oriental, I would like to write on US parenting style to compare the two.

In the US, parenting plays a very important role in child development.  Educators, psychologists, researchers have been studying the relationship between child development and parenting styles for many years.  They have nicely categorized parenting, depending on characteristics of the different styles.


Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist who studied on parenting styles and their psychological effect, and have developed two aspects of parenting, namely "Parental responsiveness"- the degree parents respond to the children's needs and "Parental demandingness" - the extent parent expects responsible behavior from children. 

She suggested three parenting styles (Baumrind 1966):

1) Authoritative Parenting
A balanced approach of parenting, encouraging, allow engagement in discussions, promote self-caring, with a good balance of "demandingness" and "responsiveness".

Stress Level: moderate
Risk of Anxiety: low

2) Authoritarian parenting
Emphasises a strict, restrictive and punitive style, controlling, high level of obedience and discipline, with high "demandingness" and low "responsiveness".


Stress Level: high
Risk of Anxiety: high


3) Permissive parenting
indulgent and passive parenting style, set few boundaries and rules, promotes emotional warmth, weak in rules and discipline enforcement, with low "demandingness" and high "responsiveness".


Stress Level: low
Risk of Anxiety: moderate


In the 1980's, researchers Maccoby and Martin added "Uninvolved Parenting" to the styles:

4) Uninvolved Parenting
Place almost no demand on children, show no warmth, pay minimal attention to their needs, basically uninvolved in parenting the children.


Stress Level: minimal
Risk of Anxiety: unknown


Here is a comic display of the few types of parenting:

There are many, yes. All these styles measures the closeness and level of attachment between parents and their children. Of all Baumrind has suggested, she found Authoritative Parenting the best parenting style of all as it captures a good balance between "demandingness" and "responsiveness", which fosters the healthiest family relationships with the most successful child outcomes.

Before I finish off this entry, please have a go at the link below (if you are parents) which is a site that provides a little test for your to find out your parenting style.  Enjoy and have fun! 

Test: What's you parenting style? (click on the link!)


Reference:

Baumrind D. 1966. Effects of authoritative parental control on child behavior. Child Development, 37(4), 887-907.

Baumrind, D.  (1991).  Effective parenting during the early adolescent  transition.  In P.A. Cowan & E. M. Hetherington (Eds.), Advances in family research (Vol. 2).  Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Maccoby EE and Martin JA. 1983. Socialization in the context of the family: Parent–child interaction. In P. H. Mussen (ed) and E. M. Hetherington (vol. ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed., pp. 1-101). New York: Wiley.

McGolerick, E. (2011). Definitions of Parenting Styles [Parenting / Parenting Tips & Advice / Parenting Advice & Columns]. Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/819528/5-parenting-styles-for-a-new-generation

Steinberg L. 2001. We know some things: Parent-adolescent relationshgips in retrospect and prospect. Journal of research on adolescence 11(1): 1-19.

Steinberg, L.D., & Silk, J.S.  (2002).  Parenting adolescents.  In M. Bornstein (Ed.), Handbook of parenting (2nd ed., Vol.1).  Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.