Becoming a parent isn’t a smooth ride—it’s more like an emotional rollercoaster, full of ups, downs, doubts, and little wins. And guess what? There’s no perfect way to parent.

But understanding your parenting style can be a game-changer. 💡

Knowing your natural approach helps you recognise what’s working, what might need tweaking, and how to better connect with your child.

In the 1960s, developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind identified three key parenting styles. A fourth was added later by researchers. These are:

👩🏫 The 4 Main Parenting Styles

1. Authoritative Parenting – Balanced & Supportive

This is often seen as the most effective style. Authoritative parents set expectations and clear rules and guidelines in a warm and responsive way. They value boundaries and connection.

They use disciplinary methods as a supportive tool rather than as punishment. Children are encouraged to have their own goals and expectations, thereby fostering open, frequent, and appropriate communication between parent and child. This parenting style generally results in the healthiest outcomes for children but requires considerable patience and effort from both parties. 

Traits:

• High expectations, high support

• Encourages independence

• Uses reasoning and positive discipline

Effect on children

Authoritative parenting fosters confidence, responsibility, and self-regulation in children. These children manage negative emotions more effectively, leading to improved social outcomes and emotional well-being.

By encouraging independence, authoritative parents help their children understand that they can achieve goals on their own, resulting in higher self-esteem. Additionally, these children tend to excel academically and perform well in school. 

2. Authoritarian Parenting – Strict & Controlling

These parents typically engage in a 1 way mode of communication, followed by strict rules with little room for flexibility. The focus is on obedience and discipline, with less emotional warmth. The children are expected to follow the rules without asking any questions. Errors are often met with punishment. Authoritarian parents tend to be less nurturing, maintaining high expectations with limited flexibility. 

Traits:

• High expectations, low responsiveness

• Rules without explanation

• Punishment over conversation

Effect on children:

Children raised by authoritarian parents often show well-behaved behaviour due to the consequences of misbehaviour. Additionally, they tend to follow precise instructions more effectively to achieve their goals. However, this parenting style can also lead to higher levels of aggression, low esteem, while children may also exhibit shyness, social ineptitude, and difficulty making their own decisions.

3. Permissive Parenting – Warm & Lenient

Permissive parents are warm and nurturing, they expect minimal expectations for their children. They impose few rules and maintain open communication, allowing their children to navigate situations independently. This lack of expectation usually leads to infrequent disciplinary actions, as permissive parents often take on a more friend-like role than that of traditional authority figures. 

Traits:

• High responsiveness, low expectations

• Few rules or limits

• Very tolerant of behavior

Effect on children:

Limited rules can lead children to develop unhealthy eating habits, particularly regarding snacks, increasing their risk of obesity and other health issues later in life. These children enjoy considerable freedom, making decisions about their bedtime, homework, and screen time on computers and televisions.

Such extensive freedom can foster negative habits, as parents often provide little guidance on moderation. Overall, while children of permissive parents typically possess good self-esteem and decent social skills, they may also be impulsive, demanding, selfish, and struggle with self-regulation

4. Uninvolved Parenting – Detached or Overwhelmed

Uninvolved parenting grants children a high degree of freedom, as these parents typically take a hands-off approach. While they may fulfill their child's basic needs, they remain emotionally detached and disengaged from their child's life.

Uninvolved parents do not adhere to a specific disciplinary style and maintain limited communication with their children, providing minimal nurturing and having few, if any, expectations.

Sometimes due to stress or life circumstances, these parents may be emotionally distant and provide little guidance.

Traits:

• Low responsiveness, low expectations

• Minimal communication or involvement

• Focused on their own needs or challenges

Effect on children:

Children of uninvolved parents often demonstrate resilience and may be more self-sufficient than those raised in other parenting styles. However, these skills are typically developed out of necessity.

Additionally, they may struggle with emotional regulation, exhibit less effective coping strategies, face academic challenges, and have difficulty maintaining or nurturing social relationships

🎯 Why Knowing Your Parenting Style Matters

A parent's upbringing style can significantly influence a child's behaviors and actions as they age. Understanding your parenting style doesn’t mean labeling yourself—it’s about self-awareness. When you understand your natural tendencies, you can:

• Strengthen your bond with your child

• Adjust your communication to support emotional needs

• Set more effective boundaries

• Raise resilient, confident kids

Which Parenting Style is Recommended? 

Authoritative parenting is the most recommended parenting style. It gives children freedom to make mistakes, understand the consequences of their actions and also clear expectation and explanation what has been asked them. 

To take an authoritative approach, parents can:

• Set clear boundaries and communicate them to children.
• Offer children choices and have discussions about what’s appropriate. For example, you can choose which pajamas you want to wear to bed. You cannot wear your winter coat to bed because it will be too warm.
• Listen to and explore their children’s emotional health concerns.
• Frequently express love and affection.

Another approach is to reward children with something they want. For example, instead of taking away their tablet until they do their homework, use it as a reward. “I’m going to give you your tablet as soon as you’re done with your homework.” That way the tablet is a reinforcer instead of a consequence.

🧩 Take Our Free Parenting Style Quiz!

Want to know your parenting style? We created a simple quiz that gives insight into how you parent—and what your strengths are.

👉 CLICK NOW!

It takes just 2 minutes and could open your eyes to what’s working—and what might need a tweak.