Parenting Your Kids – Are You the Good Guy Or the Bad Guy?

Parenting children is not as easy as you think. Our parenting style we use in raising our children will affect their behavior and personality in the future. So, what kind of parenting style do you use for them? Is it right for them? Do you “play” as a good guy or bad guy for them? Let’s find out!

Diana Baumrind identified four different types of parenting styles that commonly practiced by most parents. Here are those four parenting styles that will make you know whether you are a good guy or not in raising your kids:

1. Authoritarian parenting

You are an authoritarian parent if you expect compliance, conformity from your children for your rules and directions. The problem comes out from this parenting style when you change the rules. It can make your children get confused about what you expect from them. Don’t be surprised if they tend to be afraid with their parents. That’s because the threatening situation you have created at your home. As the response to that situation, they won’t have good self confidence and tend to withdraw from their friends. In other side, they also can grow into a rebellious child, getting involved with alcohol, drugs, and premarital sex.

2. Permissive parenting

Are you a warm and loving parent who never demands your children to do their homework from their school and never “punish” them for their bad behavior? If yes, definitely you’re a permissive parent! Especially if you give everything they want from you. Children with permissive parent usually will have emotional problems because they never learn how to obey rules. They tend to be impulsive irresponsible, and tend to blame others for what they do or what happened to them. As a result, be ready to be their “good mom” till then even though they already have spouse and children!

3. Neglectful Parenting

If the permissive parents tend to love their children too much, the neglectful ones neglect their children emotionally. You are a neglectful parent if you never care whether your children have done the homework, has eaten their meals or not. The children from neglectful parents often have problems with making friends, but their parents never realize until it become worse and worse.

4. Authoritative Parenting

This is the ideal one. Authoritative parents have realistic expectations of their children and give opportunity to their child to discuss those expectations. Their rules are fair and clear and also teach the children how to make a decision, the cause and effect of everything they do. The children from the parents with this style will grow as happy, successful children and generous with their friends at home and school. As the result, their friends respect and like them very much.

So, what are you? A good guy or bad guy? Especially for your teens, “playing” as good guy by becoming an authoritative parent for them is really important. Don’t let them be out of control and make you feel like the most desperate parent in the world! Be a good guy for them!

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