Final Paper

docx

School

Jacksonville State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

300

Subject

English

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by CoachSkunkPerson463

1 Authoritative Parenting Sierra Owen Department of English, Jacksonville State University EH 102 Mr. Pruitt November 16, 2021

2 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING Abstract In child development, the role of the parent can be a crucial one. So often do parenting styles play into children's well beings later in life. For example, strict, authoritarian parenting styles can often contribute to mental health issues for children in the form of depression, anxiety, or other social disorders. On the other side of the spectrum, permissive, uninvolved parenting styles can lead to a lack of discipline and negatively affect children's academic performance and delays in development because of improper guidance. However, one parenting style is believed to be the most effective at maximizing a child's potential while also contributing to a child's mental well- being and development: a gentle, positive authoritative approach. Over the course of this essay, the reader will see, based on evidence provided, that an attachment-based, authoritarian parenting style is the most effective in terms of academic performance, mental health, and growing relationships between parent and offspring later in life. In order to properly verify that the authoritative parenting style is the most effective, the parenting styles must be defined. While parenting styles are infinitely diverse categories, many studies classify them into four categories with differing terms. For criteria, many studies use warmth and strictness of parenting to classify the styles. "Warmth" refers to the parent's (or parents') overall empathy toward the child's emotional well-being and desire for the child to be mentally healthy. "Strictness" is referring to a strong structure of discipline and accountability that a parent or parents impose on his/her/their child. For the sake of this essay, the parenting styles will be defined as authoritative (both warm and strict), authoritarian (strict, but not warm), permissive (warm, but not strict), and uninvolved (neither warm nor strict).

3 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING Many have argued a "spare the rod, spoil the child" approach in parenting as opposed to a more gentle one. This is referring to an overly strict parenting style that is based off of Judeo- Christian literature. In today's culture, especially in the American South, this is often regarded as the only way to keep children out of trouble later in life. Some even cite a study in which an entire prison was surveyed to see if the inmates were spanked as children, and either none or close to none of the inmates were spanked as children, using this "research" to prove that there is a direct correlation between using corporal punishment and the likelihood that children will not be incarcerated. However, through scholarly research, not only has no such study been found, but other studies which support the notion that corporal punishment actually leads to violent offenses are more rampant. Through thorough research and peer-reviewed articles, the "spare the rod, spoil the child" ideology seems to do more harm than good. In terms of methods of teaching children how to behave appropriately, if corporal punishment does not work, what does? Luckily, there are numerous articles of research that determine what effective parenting looks like without having to resort to spanking. However, there is not one clear-cut way of implementing punishment but concepts and structures. Many studies show that regardless of the actual method of discipline, a method that is both structurally sound and consistently implemented is the most effective in teaching children how to behave while also being conducive to their mental health, which is highly pertinent later in life. Therefore, a consistent, structured coaching method is much more effective than corporal punishment. While this essay focuses on the overall effectiveness of the authoritative parenting style, there is still something to be said about the merit of the other types. Some parents may not be suited emotionally for their particular set of requirements. There are some benefits in child development that the different styles may have over the authoritative style. For example, the

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING authoritarian parenting style often leads to well-behaved children practicing self-discipline and being often self-reliant. Also, children of permissive parents usually have a high aptitude for emotional awareness and have great self-esteem. Children of uninvolved parents often have to learn to function independently, so they are very often self-reliant. Some societies and families value such things over what the authoritative style provides. Some critics of the authoritative style claim that the technique does not teach self-reliance enough, that the child so often forms an unhealthy dependence on his or her parent. Also, many parents find it quite challenging to maintain a balance of warmth and strictness, which is very delicate when trying to focus on developing the minds of children. The authoritative style does have its flaws, but it is still effective if properly implemented. First, in the area of academic performance versus parenting styles, the role of the parent is exceptionally crucial. The primary advantage of determining academic performance is that the data for the differences between parenting styles is quantifiable and has concrete measurement. For example, a study by Oscar Garcia and Emilia Serra shows that the dropout and failure rates of children and adolescents correlate positively to their parent's involvement with the school. According to the study, authoritative parenting styles contribute to the highest quality of a child's academic performance and determination to stay in school. In the study, while students who had permissive parents scored slightly higher than those with authoritative parents in terms of grade point average, children with authoritative parents still scored better in an overall sense through the entire battery of criteria. While the typical reader would think that because of the strictness of having authoritarian parents would lead to better grades, but that category actually scored lowest among the four categories. Based on the evidence provided in the cited material, it is clear that

5 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING the strict yet warm, authoritative parenting style is the most effective in the area of academic and later professional performance. Secondly, authoritative parenting styles are the most effective at developing the most mentally sound children throughout adolescence and later in life. According to numerous studies and peer- reviewed articles, parenting styles that do not feature parental warmth (in this case, authoritarian and uninvolved parenting styles) are often attributed to lower self-esteem, higher rates of depression, and more significant struggles in the social sector than those with parents who practice "warm" parenting styles (Ebrahimi). However, with not as much structure or discipline, children of permissive parents often form poor habits, which can lead to lower self-esteem later in life when they become professionals with strict supervisors (Futterman). Also, children of permissive parents tend to be more aggressive and more challenging to regulate their own behavior (Johnson). The benefit that authoritative parenting has over permissive is that while both are considered warm with parents who care a great deal for their child's mental well being, authoritative parents still hold their children accountable for their actions, thus ensuring that the children are still responsible while having their needs met emotionally. The mental health ramifications of parenting styles have a tremendous effect on a child's cognitive development. Thirdly, the authoritative parenting style is the most effective among the primary techniques in the area of parent-child relations. The authoritative style, by nature, is tailor-made to maintain a strong rapport between parent and child while also having clearly defined roles and expectations. Children of authoritative parents typically are more emotionally healthy than their authoritarian, uninvolved, or permissive counterparts. Therefore, they are better at communicating feelings and handling conflicts in better ways. Children of authoritarian or uninvolved parents very often grow to be resentful of their parents into their teen years and

6 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING young adulthood because of the lack of warmth and compassion. On the other hand, children of permissive parents are often misbehaved, making poor choices in adult life, which can lead to broken relationships. In the area of parent-child relationships, the authoritative parenting style reigns supreme. In conclusion, there is substantial evidence to prove that the authoritative parenting style, which deals with a balance between warmth and structure, is the most effective style among the four general categories. While it is not perfect and can be a delicate balance to meet, the style is very effective in developing children who perform well academically, have a strong basis of mental health, and maintain strong relationships with parents as they grow older. While effective in producing children who are solid and self-reliant professionals, the authoritarian style may not be the most mentally healthy individuals. The permissive style may develop well-loved children and are very socially aware, but its lack of discipline and structure makes grown-up children who are not the best employees. The uninvolved style can make the most self-reliant people, but ones who can have all manners of issues due to lack of attention and structure. The authoritative style proves to be the best-suited parenting style with tremendous upside and limited flaws.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING References Bachmann, Christian J. “A Good Investment: Longer-Term Cost Savings of Sensitive Parenting in Childhood.” Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 29 June 2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187093/. Ebrahimi, Loghman, et al. “Attachment Styles, Parenting Styles, and Depression.” International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, Springer US, 9 June 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-017-9770-y. Garcia, Oscar. “Raising Children with Poor School Performance: Parenting Styles and Short- and Long-Term Consequences for Adolescent and Adult Development.” Mpdi , International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 27 Mar. 2019, https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/ijerph/ijerph-16- 01089/article_deploy/ijerph-16-01089-v2.pdf Gershoff, E. T., & Grogan-Kaylor, A. (2016). Spanking and child outcomes: Old controversies and new meta-analyses. Journal of Family Psychology, 30(4), 453– 469. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000191 Johnson L.E., Kelley H.M. (2011) Permissive Parenting Style. In: Goldstein S., Naglieri J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2115 Kuppens, Sofie, and Eva Ceulemans. “Parenting Styles: A Closer Look at a Well-Known Concept.” Journal of Child and Family Studies, Springer US, 18 Sept. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6323136/ . Niaraki, Fahimeh Rezai. “The Impact of Authoritative, Permissive and ... - Core.” European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, Farhangian University, 18 Dec. 2012, https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230050065.pdf . Riggio , Ronald. “How Does Your Parenting Style Affect Your Kids ...” Psycholgy Today, 2 Oct. 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge- leadership/201410/how-does-your-parenting-style-affect-your-kids .

8 AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING Sanvictores, Terrence. “Types of Parenting Styles and Effects on Children.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 6 Mar. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568743/ .

Final Paper

Related Documents