Authoritative parenting is an educational method backed by many psychologists. Authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting, and permissive parenting are the three main parenting styles that were identified in the 1960s by Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist at the Institute of Human Development at the University of California in Berkeley.
The authoritative parenting technique sets clear expectations about how children should behave, which is an efficient way to raise confident and independent young people. Authoritative parents rely on positive reinforcement to guide their kids, giving them more choices rather than threats.
According to Stephen Glicksman, a developmental psychologist at Makor Disability Services and Adjunct Associate Professor at Yeshiva University in New York City, "Research shows that children of authoritative parents grow to be more independent, successful, well adjusted, and happier than children whose parents use other parenting styles. They get along better with peers, and are generally able to better cope with life's ups and downs."
Glicksman puts forward four dimensions of parenting:
1. Control
How parents try to influence their kids' behavior.
2. Clarity
How parents communicate with their kids and are ready to give and receive opinions and explanations from them.
3. Maturity demands
How much pressure or encouragement parents give to their kids.
4. Nurturance
How much involvement and warmth parents provide to their kids.
"The key to using authoritative parenting is consistency," says Celia I. Mion-Araoz, a licensed mental health counselor with Community Health of South Florida. Parents should make their expectations clear and always acknowledge their kids' good behaviors.
Picture: Portrait of a Young Girl, by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Wikimedia Commons, w/Effects)
