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Family Dynamics

Psychology‌‌of‌‌Adolescence‌‌
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Family Dynamics

The way parents raise their children during their growth from childhood to adolescence

and finally adulthood when the individuals have full autonomy is categorized under the four

parenting styles. These categories are authoritative, disciplinarian, permissive, and neglectful.

These different parenting styles affect the development of children differently, and how a child

turns out as they grow is dependent on this, among other factors. According to Ishak et al., these

different parenting styles focus on parental responsiveness that fosters self-regulation and

parental demandingness, whereby the parents push the children to integrate into the family fully

(2012).

Authoritarian parents are described to be strict in regard to discipline. In most cases, they

use punishment to correct wrongdoings by a child and rarely engage in two-way communication

when interacting with their child. They make the rules, and the child is supposed to follow them

without question. This parenting style results in a strained relationship with the child because

they did not nurture the child with love. The neglectful parenting style is seen in parents that give

their children all the freedom they need and are uninvolved in the child’s life. They provide the

basic needs for the child but do not aim by building a relationship with them. This lack of

involvement leads to parents not expecting much from the child since they do not have any

interest in what their child does (Li, 2021). Permissive parenting is characterized by high

responsiveness and low demandingness. These parents encourage and provide an environment

for their children to be themselves and attain self-regulation, while not expecting much in terms

of their growth and maturity within the family. The last parenting style, authoritative, is

characterized by the high expectations parents have for a child as they mature and their ability to

remain responsive towards their children. They provide clear guidance during the growth process
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and develop strong and healthy bonds with their children. Unlike in the case of authoritarian

parents, authoritative parents are able to relate to their children on a level plane, rather than that

of the former, whereby one dictates and the other follows without question.

My mother employed the authoritative parenting style. We were close, and this bond

always grew stronger with each passing moment we shared. At the same time, she also expected

me to perform different tasks around the house and was keen to hold me accountable if my chore

was not done. Whenever I faltered, she would explain to me why what I did was wrong and was

sure to confirm that I had understood what she had just told me. In the cases that I was naughty,

she punished me by grounding me. My father employed the permissive parenting style since he

did not take particular interest in the details of my life but still treated me well. He could not

have expectations for me if he had no idea of what was going on. My parents treated my small

brother differently during his childhood. This is because my father took a particular interest in

his life. The most probable reason this difference occurred is because of gender. Since my father

and brother were both men, they could talk about many topics that they both had interests in.

This meant that their bond was stronger.

References

Ishak, Z., Low, S., & Lau, P. (2012). Parenting Style as a Moderator for Students’ Academic

Achievement. Journal of Science Education & Technology, 21(4), 487–493. https://doi-

org.kean.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s10956-011-9340-1

Li, P. (2021, June). 4 Types of Parenting Styles and Their Effects. Parenting For Brain.

https://www.parentingforbrain.com/4-baumrind-parenting-styles/