Parenting style is critical as to how your child behaves and grows up as a person. Parenting style can affect everything from how much your child weighs to how they feel about themselves. It’s important to ensure your parenting style is supporting healthy growth and development because the way you interact with your child and how you discipline them will influence them for the rest of his/her life. The four main parenting styles that have been identified are:

Authoritarian or disciplinarian – This kind of parent doesn’t express love and affection well but is very high on discipline. They raise children who are susceptible to rebellion. Communication between parent and child takes the form of arguing and fighting, especially when the child is old enough to fight back. Authoritarian parents squeeze their kids until the kids can’t wait to leave home, and as soon as they do, they rebel

Permissive or indulgent – Studies reveal that permissive parents tend to produce children with very low self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. Though the parents express a lot of love, the lack of boundaries leaves their children with a high level of insecurity. The kids feel loved, but they are never sure of their limits. Their parents are generally fearful, afraid of messing up and damaging their children’s psyche, so they never set firm boundaries. The kids feel very loved and yet very unsure of themselves.

Uninvolved – This kind of parent doesn’t express much love and also doesn’t really care enough to discipline. Their children tend to grow up with little or no lasting relationship with Mom or Dad. The parents’ neglect may not necessarily be intentional — they may simply be in the midst of their own traumas and chaos, like an addiction or an abusive situation.

Authoritative – This type of parenting is the best among the lot. Parent is authoritative — not an overbearing authoritarian, but compassionate yet with firm authority. They have clear boundaries and targets but are also very loving. Everyone knows who the boss is, but there’s also a connection between parents and child, a consideration that respects and honors who the child is while not compromising his or her disciplinary needs. The result is a child high in self-esteem and equipped with good coping skills.