Parenting

Parenting Styles – Authoritarian Parenting

Rising children until they are old enough to take care of themselves is the most wonderful time of parents and also most challenging. The way we raise our children is called as parenting style and it has huge impact on our children growth and development. As parents if we know what’s our parenting style and effects on our children it would be helpful to change that before it’s too late and the potential changes lead to the wholesome development of our kids.

Psychologist Diana Baumrind identified 3 parenting styles based upon two characteristics: control and warmth. Maccoby and Martin later added one more pattern “uninvolved or neglectful style”.

All about Authoritarian Parenting

These parents are often strict and low on warmth and always expect their children to follow parental directions with no or very little communication from the child’s end. These parents set extremely high benchmarks for the kids to achieve and hence expect them to unconditionally follow the strict rule put out for them and at the same time expect assertiveness as well as social responsibility from their children. But there is almost no parental responsiveness towards the mental and emotional needs of the child, but a high level of control over all his activities, which leads to improper development of children in the childhood.

The Ways And Means

Most authoritarian parents live under the notion, that their children are bound to follow everything that they’re asked to, without question and there is no room, whatsoever, for any negotiation. Moreover, in case the rules aren’t adhered to or the instructions aren’t followed exactly as expected, the children are made subject to punishment. A large majority of parents adhering to this parenting style also resort to yelling, spanking to gain control over their kids.

The Effects

This parenting style has many side effects on the children which not only impairs their mental, emotional and social development, but also considerably weakens their bond with the parents over a period of time.  Some of these ill effects are:

  • Inability of children to make decisions
  • Low self-esteem in the kids
  • An emotional withdrawal from social situations
  • High levels of anger, resentment and frustration
  • A constant fear of underperforming
  • Disconnect from the peer group

Bottom line: Although every parent uses all these parenting styles in daily life, few are more comfortable with one style over the other.