The development of a child’s personality depends on what style of parenting education prevails in a family. A style of family education is a way of parents’ relationship with a child, the use of certain techniques and methods expressed in a peculiar manner of treatment and interaction. Any disharmony in a family leads to adverse consequences in the development of a child’s personality and serious behavior problems. The given paper will prove that correct, responsible social behavior is formed in a child if parents show justice, care, firmness, and discipline.
The Characteristics of Styles of Family Education
In psychology, there are six main types of parenting styles: authoritarian, conniving, democratic, chaotic, alienated, and overprotective. Each of these styles has its characteristics and is reflected in different ways in the personal development of a child (Bakiera).
Authoritarian Family Parenting Style
With the authoritarian parenting style, parents suppress a child’s initiative, rigidly lead and control his or her actions and deeds. They use physical punishment for the slightest offenses, coercion, shouting, and prohibitions. Children are deprived of parental love, affection, care, and sympathy. The effect of such upbringing is unpredictable: children grow up either timid and neurotic or aggressive and conflicting. Such children find it difficult to adapt to society and the world around them.
Conniving Style of Family Education
With this type of parenting style, communication with a child is based on the principle of permissiveness and low discipline. A child does not understand the word “must.” Parents with a liberal-permissive style of communication with a child are characterized by an inability or unwillingness to lead and guide the child. Liberal parents are caring, attentive, and have a close relationship with their children. As a result, a child grows up a selfish, conflicted person; he or she is prone to psychological problems, phobias, and depression. Such a child cannot control himself and has little chance to develop self-esteem. A child raised by liberal parents is unable to solve the problems and will have difficulties with social interaction.
Overprotective Family Parenting Style
With the overprotective parenting style, parents deprive a child of independence in physical, mental, and social development. They are constantly next to their children to solve the problems and fear and worry about their health. When a child grows up, parents continue to take unnecessary care of him or her, constantly worrying about his or her health and well-being. Overprotection suppresses the initiative, will, and freedom of a child, his or her energy, and cognitive activity, deprives him or her of independence, and fosters obedience. A child grows up helpless, infantile, insecure, neurotic, and anxious. Subsequently, he or she has difficulties in socialization because of a lack of self-assurance. Such children are always afraid to do something wrong, to make a mistake. Some adolescent children tend to break free from excessive parental control and guardianship, showing aggression, becoming naughty and willful.
Alienated Family Parenting Style
With this type of parenting style, relationships imply a deep parental indifference to a child’s personality. Parents do not pay enough attention to their children; they are not interested in his or her development and inner world. They avoid communication with children and try to keep them at a distance. The alienated parenting style is observed more often in dysfunctional families, where one or both parents abuse alcohol or drugs. Such an indifferent attitude makes a child lonely, deeply unhappy, and insecure. He or she loses the desire to communicate, may try to show aggression; teenagers often have problems with the law.
Chaotic Parenting Style
Some psychologists highlight the chaotic style of family education, characterized by the absence of a single consistent approach to raising a child: there are no specific, definite, clear requirements. A chaotic style arises due to disagreements between parents in the choice of means and methods of education. Conflicts in a family become more and more frequent; parents constantly sort things out with each other in the presence of a child, which leads to the emergence of neurotic reactions in him or her. Unpredictable actions and reactions of parents deprive a child of a sense of stability, provoke heightened insecurity, impulsivity, anxiety, aggressiveness, uncontrollability, and social maladjustment. Children need stability and clear, concrete benchmarks in assessments and behavior. Parents who use different styles of upbringing and communication deprive a child of such stability, form an anxious, insecure, impulsive, in some cases aggressive, and uncontrollable personality. With a chaotic upbringing style, a child cannot develop self-control, a sense of responsibility; he or she is distinguished by the immaturity of judgment.
Democratic Style of Family Education
With the democratic upbringing style, parents encourage any child’s initiative and independence. They help him or her and take into account the needs and requirements of a child. Parents allow their children to take part in the discussion of family problems and take their opinion into account when making decisions. In turn, they require meaningful behavior from children, show firmness and consistency in discipline. A child is in an active position, which gives him or her the experience of self-management, increases self-confidence and strength. Children in such families listen to their parents’ advice, know the word “must,” learn how to discipline themselves, and build relationships with classmates.
Correct, responsible social behavior is formed in a child if parents show justice, care, firmness, and discipline. Thus, the democratic parenting style can be considered the most effective style to use. Whichever of the above styles one may choose, it is necessary to take into account the type of temperament of a child. With the democratic preventing style, a child grows up responsible, independent, competent, and self-confident. Such children can control their desires and, as a rule, achieve great success in life.
Bakiera, Lucyna. “Upbringing and Parenting, Style of Upbringing and Parenting Style. Terminological Analysis.” Educational Psychology, vol. 58, no. 16, 2019, pp. 60–72. Web.