The 4 Educational Styles: How Do You Educate Your Children?

The vast majority of fathers and mothers want the best for their children and usually act in good faith, thinking that they are doing the right thing when it comes to educating them. The educational style we use when raising a son or daughter It can have both a positive and dramatic effect on the development of these young people, and its disciplinary strategies will influence the type of relationship established between them.

At the same time, parenting styles have a great influence on a child’s mood, behavior and well-being both now and in the future.

There are four educational styles. In this article We will delve into its characteristics and explain its differences

History of educational styles

Educational styles, also called parenting styles, have been extensively studied by developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind In the early 1960s, Baumrind carefully investigated more than 100 preschool children, observing them and interviewing their parents. Her studies gave rise to what we now know as educational or parenting styles.

Likewise, Baumrind studied four dimensions that he considered important: warmth and nurturing, disciplinary strategies, communication style, and expectations of maturity and control In turn, in 1966, Baumrind identified three parenting styles: authoritarian, democratic and permissive and published a text called: Child Care Practices Anteceding Three Patterns of Preschool Behavior.

According to the author, distrustful and unhappy children had controlling and unloving parents, the dependent ones had warm parents who did not set limits, and the self-sufficient and happy ones had demanding but communicative parents. A few years later, in 1983, Maccoby and Martin expanded on Baumrind’s work and developed the fourth parenting style, the indifferent or negligent style

The 4 parenting styles

Each educational style has different characteristics. Below you can find a list that will help you understand the 4 parenting styles.

1. Authoritarian style

The authoritarian style is based on severe discipline, where parents set the rules and expect children to follow them without exception. It is also known as a military parenting style, because the father or mother uses very strict rules in the family, encouraging obedience.

Parents with this parenting style They are controlling, provide little support to their children, and are prone to punishment, threats and can even use violence. If the son breaks family rules, he will be severely punished without hearing her explanation.

Although authoritarian children follow the rules most of the time, they often develop self-esteem problems, since parents have never taken their needs or feelings and emotions into account. They can also become hostile or aggressive children, who do not know how to make decisions and solve problems. Several studies suggest that children raised with this style of education perform well academically, but are at risk of developing poor social skills, which is why it is considered a negative parenting style.

2. Permissive style

The permissive style may seem like a good parenting style because many parents use it thinking that this way their son or daughter will be happier; However, in the long run, it can have serious emotional consequences. Permissive parents They try to protect their children from harmful incidents They don’t set any standards for their little ones’ behavior and are very tolerant.

These parents They are characterized by being unsteady and having little control over the situation Studies show that children who grow up in environments with this parenting style tend to perform poorly academically, and may present more behavioral problems, since they are unlikely to listen to authority and rules. They often have low self-esteem and may experience sadness. They tend to become capricious and spoiled people.

3. Democratic style

This is, without a doubt, one of the healthiest educational styles for raising children. Democratic parents are usually firm but also supportive and affectionate to their little ones. They set limits, but also consider the infant’s point of view. In other words, they set rules that they expect their children to follow; However, they consider that there are exceptions to these rules.

Democratic parents usually explain the consequences of their children’s negative behavior instead of applying punishments. In addition, use positive reinforcement for good behaviors and they may be more willing than authoritarian parents to use reward and praise systems.

Studies show that children raised with this educational style they tend to be happier and more successful They are often good at making decisions and have higher self-esteem, and as adults they are more responsible and feel comfortable expressing their opinions.

4. Negligent or indifferent style

This style It is characterized because the parents are not involved in raising their children and, therefore, do not provide the necessary support to their children or guide them. They do not show any affection or discipline and, in short, they do not pay attention to their little ones.

Research shows that this is a very harmful style for young people, and parental behavior has a negative global impact on the development of their children both in the present and in the future.

Indifferent parents put their children’s emotional health and self-esteem at risk. cause serious psychological problems in different areas of their future life For example, interpersonal relationships or work.

What are toxic parents like?

The role of parents is fundamental for the development of their children. Although the vast majority of parents want the best for their little ones, unfortunately, some They make parenting mistakes that can harm growth and emotional health of his descendants.

Now, you don’t have to be obsessed with doing everything perfectly when raising children; Little ones have surprising resilience in situations of discomfort and crisis. In this sense, the most important thing is to remember that you have to maintain a balance between protecting them, on the one hand, and giving them the freedom to explore the world and learn from their mistakes, on the other. And of course, always keep in mind potentially dangerous situations for your physical integrity.