PARENTING STYLES: IMPACT ON CHILDREN 2
Parenting Styles: Impact on Children
Numerous research has unveiled that parenting style can impact significantly on a child’s
cognitive, psychological and social growth, which affects children, both in their infancy,
childhood years, adolescents and an adulthood later in life. So parenting styles play an active and
crucial role in the development of a child. Every child develops experiencing many stimuli,
interaction, and exchange, which surround them. Most importantly, parents are the one who has
an immediate impact and influences on child either positive or negative way throughout their
prime developmental stages. In this research paper, I will be presenting common parenting
practices or styles embraced by parents across various cultures, societies, and countries around
the globe. Through the long history of research on parenting, small but significant correlations
have been found between parenting style, on the one hand, and children’s typical behaviors, on
the other. The strength of the associations is modest, cueing us that many factors interact with
parenting and modify its effects. Researchers have begun to identify a multiplicity of interacting
factors, so it is so necessary to be cautious in interpreting these relationships between parenting
style and child outcomes (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015, p.82).
Baumrind (1967, 1971) found parenting typologies like authoritarian, neglectful,
authoritative, and permissive to be essential elements in describing the attitude and behavior of
parents toward their children. Collaboration amid parents and children has also been connected
with ethnic environs. Nonetheless, many scholars have studied the impact of parenting styles on
children, especially on their behavior and emotions. Much recently, scholars found out the
parenting styles acknowledged by Baumrind affected children’s emotional coping and social
competence. Most of the times researchers use Baumrind typology because it shelters diverse
styles of parenting: from authoritative (giving more attention to children) to neglectful (giving
PARENTING STYLES: IMPACT ON CHILDREN 3
less attention to children). This typology similarly signifies the grouping of the two child
nurturing approaches, which are behavioral acceptance and control that are affected by both the
children’s and parent’s temperaments. This paper explores the impact the mentioned parenting
styles as coined by Baumrind have on children.
Authoritative parenting styles affect children’s behavior and empathy. Authoritative
features displayed by parents like stability, monitoring, and affection have effects on kids’
emotions (Melnick and Hinshaw, 2000). Eisenberg et al. (2005) conducted a study that focused
on children externalizing behavior and effortful control and found out that parents who displayed
sympathy features like less chastisement and more friendliness on children between seven and
twelve years had children who displayed less externalizing problem and more effortful control
two and four years later. In other words, children learn to feel empathy from their authoritative
parents. Nonetheless, on the other hand, Liem et al. (2010) found out that authoritative parenting
style lessened depressive symptoms, and had diverse effects on life satisfaction. When parents
display support and love consistently to their children, the children tend to be happier. Several
studies have found a correlation amid all authoritative dimensions (social support/involvement,
strictness-supervision) with adolescent’s life satisfaction (Suldo and Huebner, 2004).
On the other hand, authoritarian parents have been found to display low warmth and
responsiveness, but extreme control over their child. Baumrind (1966, 1971) states that
authoritarian parents try to control, shape, and appraise the attitudes and behavior of their
children based on a set of philosophies they offer. These parents are strict and conformist. Hence,
children have fewer choices and have to follow their parents’ orders. Takeuchi and Takeuchi
(2008) argues that parents have prospects, and children not permitted to defy their parents. These
parents monitor their children’s behavior and in the process they try to control and manage the
PARENTING STYLES: IMPACT ON CHILDREN 4
behaviors. For instance, paternities want to know where their children and what they are doing
all the time, and as part of parental control, the parents start getting involved in their children
decision making. As Suldo and Huebner (2004) notes, children loose the opportunities to decide
for themselves and as a consequence they become less self-confident. Often, authoritarian
parents talk with their children instead of talking to their children when making decisions.
Additionally, authoritarian parents are more demanding, are unresponsive to their
children’s needs, and expect much of their children. Furthermore, authoritarian parenting is rigid,
obstructive, and retributive where parents burden children to respect their efforts and words and
follow their directions. These parents often punish their children emotionally or physically
(Marsiglia et al., 2007). Authoritarian parents never encourage verbal give and take. Nonetheless,
several researchers have found out that this parenting style impacts children negatively and is
connected with less than vigorous results comprising low success, low self-esteem, augmented
nervousness, and reduced happiness (Wolfradt, Hempel and Miles, 2003). To children, this
parenting style is unfair as the children have to obey their parents and have no choice. The
children become so dependable and this affects their emotional, cognitive, and social
development. Hence, these children might dissident and grow misconducts as a symbol of
dissent counter to their parents.
Conversely, permissive parents display non affirmative, recognition, and punitive
behavior toward their children needs, actions, and desires. This type of parenting style has both
positive and negative elements. These parents have low or less control of their children, but at
the same time can show high responsiveness and support (Hoeve et al., 2009). Unlike
authoritarian parents, permissive parents inspire children to do what they want to do (Timpano et
al., 2010) –the children have freedom. This means these children from a young age are able to
PARENTING STYLES: IMPACT ON CHILDREN 5
regulate their activities without their parents’ attention. This makes the children more responsible
and mature (Lee et al., 2006). However, despite the advantages this parenting style has over
children, it has also many disadvantages. Parents plunge to set boundaries or anticipations for
their children. Thus, permissive parenting is insecure for children as it is unproductive in rising
good judgment amid children (Lee et al., 2006). In other words, because of lack of enough care
and attention while growing up, the children development is affected later in life and this might
cause low self-esteem and lack of self-assurance.
On the other hand, neglectful parenting style affects children because the parents show
low control and support, and the parents are less involved in their children’s life. However, these
parents might be undemanding, disconnected, and fail to set confines. These parents do not pay
attention to their children’s opinions and emotions. However, even though the parents are
unsupportive emotionally, they still provide for their children’s basic needs. According to Lee et
al. (2006), parents who are neglectful affect their children in that the children feel lonely,
unloved, and disengaged even when the parents are involved. Nonetheless, very few studies have
focused on the impact of neglectful parenting style on children. However, these studies have
found the style to affect children negatively. Children become depressed, are not satisfied in life,
are sad, become more aggressive and engage in antisocial behavior, and can eventually engage in
criminal behaviors. Nonetheless, neglectful parenting worsens children’s psychological
development.
Thus, in conclusion, as introduced by Baumrind, parenting styles comprise of four styles;
authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive. However, behavioral control and
acceptance determine these four styles. As Baumrind argues, authoritative parenting is a
combination of high acceptance and high behavioral control. Authoritarian parenting on the other
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hand is the combination of low acceptance and high behavioral control. In short, authoritarian
parents are rigid, firm, and strict with their children. Children who live with authoritarian parents
display high empathy, low depression, high social competence, high life satisfaction, extreme
responsibility, and perform well in school. Children who live with authoritarian parents, in
contrast might experience low self-esteem, high depression, aggression, low self-satisfaction, and
display delinquent behaviors like rape and robbery. From these discussions, it is clear
authoritarian parenting style has more diverse negative impacts on children than authoritative
parenting style.
Faith Perspectives
Viewing from a faith perspective, God has appointed each parent with high responsibility
to nurture the children with explicit instructions and follow His guidance prescribed in scriptures,
so the children mature as a grown-up adult who He desires to be. His Words declares “For I have
chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way
of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice...” (Genesis 8:19). It is God's fundamental
design that a man and a woman marry, have children and multiply in numbers (Genesis
1:28).The word of God teaches us that children are a gift from God. Hence He does care about
how they are raised (Psalm 127:3). He disciplines His children (Proverbs 3:11) and commands
earthly parents to do the likewise (Proverbs 23:13). In the Bible we see as evidence that Eli, the
priest, allowed his sons to dishonor the Lord “failed to restrict them” (1 Samuel 3:13), so the
Lord brought His judgment to his sons and himself too. The purpose of the Godly and healthy
parenting is making them know God and bring honor to God with their lives. Proverbs 23:24
tells that the result of raising children, according to God’s plan is that: “The father of the
righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who sires a wise son will be glad in him” (NASB). God has
PARENTING STYLES: IMPACT ON CHILDREN 7
spoken to us through numerous scriptures giving explicit instructions to parents about how to
raise and rear their children. Parents have not only a responsibility to meet their physical needs,
but a responsibility of imparting His values, principles, and truth into their lives. God has given
us clear instructions on how to raise and rear them as a parent (Proverbs 23:13–14). God has
instructed parents to teach their children His commandment, fill their homes with His truth,
instill His values and be an example to them (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). The central object of God’s
discipline is intended to “conform us to the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29). The word of God
says that a disciplining child with proper and consistent brings a “harvest of righteousness”
(Hebrews 12:11), but failing to discipline children produce indignity for both parent and child
(Proverbs 10:1).
Professional Perspectives
Many people assume that parenting is abilities that grow naturally after becoming parents
and experiencing parenthood. In fact, becoming a parent is a normal process, but understanding
and improving proper parenting abilities requires learning. There are many parents due to their
inappropriate parenting skills, many children suffers from the negative effects in their life, in
such cases, parents need outside assistance to do the best job in raising their children. Getting a
guidance and counseling from professional counselor could be hugely beneficial for both parents
and children. An experienced professional counselor can help parent molding him or her into a
desired ideal parents who eventually mature and represents self as a role model to children.
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References
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Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology
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Broderick, P.C., & Blewitt P. (2015). The life span: Human development for helping
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Eisenberg, N., Zhou, Q., Spinrad, T. L., Valiente, C., Fabes, R. A., & Liew, J. (2005). Relations
among positive parenting, children’s effortful control, and externalizing problems: A
three-wave longitudinal study. Child Development, 76, 1055-1071.
Lee, S. M., Daniels, H. & Kissinger, D. B. (2006). Parental influences on adolescent adjustment:
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Liem, J. H., Cavell, E. C. & Lustig, K. (2010). The influence of authoritative parenting during
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