Parenting has never been under the spotlight more than it is today. Parenting styles have become the focus of many reports and debates in recent years and what once seemed a natural progression in life; going from being single to becoming married to having your first child and raising it, now seems to have become a complicated process.

Don't you think?

Maybe I'm wrong but parenting seemed a much easier process when I was growing up. What has changed? The biggest difference seems to correlate with our progression into the technological age. It's not fair to expect what was once seen as a favored and acceptable way of bringing up a child to be maintained without making some adjustments.

Parenting has to adjust to the times. Children are now kept amused by different toys such as computers, ipods, computer generated games and the like. Messages they get today from media-based sources are more powerful than they were 40 years ago. Kids are much more easily accessed by savvy marketers and subliminal advertising messages. Are they more easily influenced?

It seems a parent today can go one of two ways. Either let their kids be entertained the easy way; that is through electronic means or make an effort to create balance; find a happy medium between new world and old world values.

What type of parent are you? Parenting styles have been categorized into several areas with the following three regarded as the main three. Let's look at them briefy.

Authoritarian Parenting

Structure is the key with authoritarian parents. While not being abusive, they set high standards of behavior for their children and require obedience.
Authoritarian parents are happy to receive input from their children in certain decision-making. This style may be good for children with behavioral or conduct disorders because they need structure and authority. However, if this is not the case, the child of authoritarian parents will often have low self-esteem and rely more often on the voice of authority.

Permissive Parenting

This type of parenting is not about being neglectful or careless but has more to do with letting children make more decisions. Is this a good way to parent a child? Who can say.

It's said this style of parenting is meant to encourage creativity and spontaneity in children. These parents use reasoning rather than authority when setting limits. This is a good parenting style for withdrawn children, but may not be suited to rebellious or aggressive children. This method could result in immature behavior and an inability to control impulses.

Authoritative Parenting

This parenting style is often considered the most favorable. These parents are not particularly firm or permissive. They also will set high standards for their children but leave some of the decision-making up to each child.

Authoritative parents generally reason with and listen to their children but don't hesitate to insist on certain behaviors and limits. This parenting style works well with middle-of-the-road children who are neither shy nor aggressive. It helps children develop a sense of independence and self-sufficiency.

It's important to remember that while we've listed three parenting categories, it would be rare to find parents completely sticking to one style. More often, you'll find a little bit of each of the styles used at some time or other.

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