What kind of a parent are you? Read this to find out!

From the moment your child is born and you bring your little one home, everyone pretty much has an opinion on the kind of parent you should be, the strategies and style you must follow in order to raise a healthy child. Some even go a step further to caution you on the kind of parent you should not be.

However, there is no parenting style that is perfect and should be taken as a benchmark for new parents. A parenting style is guided by what you want from your child and what you want him to learn from you. Here are a few parenting styles that are followed by mothers all across the world. Read through them and decide which is yours.

Authoritarian parenting

• This style is characterised by parents who are strict, controlling, demanding and not very responsive.
• It has clearly stated rules, set expectations and a strong need for obedience and has no room for an open dialogue between the parent and child.
• Punishment is often used as getting the child to do what the parent wants.
• Researchers suggest that children of authoritarian parents tend to be shy, timid, have low self-esteem issues, are sometimes fearful and socially awkward and rely on a voice of authority all their life.

Authoritative parenting

• Similar to authoritarian, this parenting style is focused around rules and guidelines that the children are expected to follow.
• However, this parenting style is warmer and allows communication and is a little more democratic. It thrives on the principle of giving freedom while maintaining compliance to rules.
• But when children fail to comply, authoritative parents are more forgiving and do not necessarily follow the path of punishment.
• Their overall disciplinary methods are more supportive to children, rather than punitive. Children of these parents are more socially responsible and self-regulated.

Attachment parenting

• This style of parenting is all about being close to your child, caring for your child in a way that brings out the best in both parents and the child.
• Parents who follow it make the individual needs of the child the centre of their universe. A close attachment after birth and beyond by both the parents equally is the essence of this style.
• Attachment parenting is totally based on responding to the child’s needs and staying in very close proximity with him and protecting him all the time. An important aspect of this style of parenting is using your intuition and wisdom as parents to decide what’s best for your child and family.
• Parents choosing this style believe that the nurturing connection and bond with the child is the ideal way to raise secure, independent and socially responsible children.
• Critics say that this parenting style forces parents to revolve their lives around their children hence leading to children who are always dependent of their parents.
• However, supporters of this parenting style say families following this style have kind, compassionate and sociable children.

French-style parenting

• This style is a combination of old-fashioned firm parenting methods with its share of love and understanding. It emphasises on the fact that the ‘parents are supposed to be in charge’, the boundaries and rules are clearly communicated to children.
• Parents following this style give a lot of choices to children, while explaining the consequences of each choice. The kids adapt to the parents and not the other way around.
• A very unique aspect of this style is the emphasis on saying ‘No’ to kids as and when required, thereby making them more rationale and helping them to cope with frustration and rejection.
• Families following this style of parenting firmly believe that this style helps them raise very strong, independent and self-sufficient children who have loads of patience and are life ready.

Dutch-style parenting

• A new style of parenting that is catching up fast and becoming popular throughout the world. Parents following this style hover less and let the children be on their own.
• Parents who follow this style believe in explaining…and more explaining to children. There is no place for tantrums for both children and parents themselves.
• Children’s opinions and voices count a lot and there is a lot of room for discussion between the parents and children. Yelling on children is a complete ‘no’ but off course parents give constructive directions.
• This style gives a lot of importance of doing things together, eating meals together, involving children in household chores early on and following a common family schedule. It is believed that families following this style have happy, well- groomed, responsible and calm children

Helicopter parenting

• Parents following this style are the ones who are over focused on their children, they typically take too much responsibility for their successes and failures. They see their children as a reflection of themselves who clearly need to do better than them.
• Parents following this style of parenting are too involved in their child’s life, are sometime controlling, protecting and even perfecting their lives as much as possible.
• Parents following this style are like shadows for children, often correcting them and directing their behaviour, allowing on free play or alone time for their children.
• It is said that helicopter parenting can sometimes lead to decreased self confidence in children, leading them to be anxious and unable to cope with life situations.

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