Feb 5
Parenting Styles-A Teacher’s Perspective
Understanding the Impact of Different Parenting Styles on Student Learning and Development
It is important to remember that children are unique individuals and that no two children are the same. As a parent, it is essential to be aware of your child’s needs and to provide them with the support and guidance they need to grow and develop into successful adults. By being patient, understanding, and flexible, parents can create a safe and nurturing environment for their children.
I’ve noticed that most parents have an “inherited parenting style” and they only raise their children in one way. Parents do not try to get any kind of training or help in this regard even though no more important responsibilities are coming into their lives. This method of inheritance gives no value to the child. This philosophy strongly believes that the stricter the parents are, the better the children will be, which is wrong and misleading.
I have seen parents around me who either handle their children in a very authoritarian manner or completely ignore them. Both these styles spoil the child. Neglected children are spoiled early and children under authoritarian control are spoiled later in life. Therefore, it is important for parents to learn about parenting styles and apply them as needed in raising children.
Parents are generally divided into four categories;
- Authoritarian style
- Authoritative style
- Neglectful style
- Permissive style
Here the question arises which of these methods is correct for raising children? There is no simple answer to this. It may depend on various factors. Let us try to understand these procedures with these examples.
Let's look at these approaches from a teacher’s point of view
Every month, a meeting of parents and teachers was held at the school. Parents were contacted via phone calls or other means to keep them informed about their children’s education. Some parents used to come, but they had no idea what class their child was in. In such cases, the entire school’s list had to be viewed so that progress cards could be distributed.
The complaint register was an essential component of the school. It was used to record child complaints, and parents were frequently called up to the school. A father was called one day, and the complaints of his son, which had been continuously registering, were shown. Father stated confidently;
“Look! I’ve had the life I wanted. It is their life to live, not mine. I can’t ruin my life by overthinking over them.”
This was not an ordinary father, but a businessman.
How can children be educated and become useful members of society if their parents ignore them to this extent and make them feel like a burden? These styles should be changed and adapted as time and circumstances require.
When smartphones were first introduced, they were incredibly expensive, and few people owned them. A kid arrived one day with an expensive smartphone. On investigation, it was found that he did not come from a wealthy family, but he was taking his own and family decisions. When he had so much money, it was inevitable that he would have to satisfy his desires first. That child could not study because he made his own decisions. He is the head of his own household at the time I am writing these memoirs. He has his own children, is unemployed, and lives a miserable life. Similarly, I knew a father who was strict with his child. He was only interested in the child’s good grades. The exams were held, and the child received poor grades. Out of fear of his father, he committed suicide. Thousands of such examples can be found throughout your society.
One thing is clear from the examples above: giving children complete freedom and allowing them to make their own decisions (permissive style) spoils children from the start because children at this age are incapable of making decisions and may fall victim to the wrong group. Children can be managed temporarily by being too strict with them (authoritarian style), but a distance is created between such parents and their children, and they are not in contact later in life. Ignoring children from the start completely spoils them.
Personally, I believe that the Authoritative style is the best. Sit with your child and assist him with his decisions and assignments. However, it is not necessary to stick to the same style all of the time, but rather to adapt to the situation and the age of the child. The American Psychological Association also supports the Authoritative style. According to them, children raised with this style are friendly, energetic, cheerful, self-reliant, self-controlled, curious, cooperative and successful in life.
Improving one’s parenting style requires patience, honesty, and a lot of effort. The good news is that it is never too late to begin learning. Any positive change you make benefits both your child and society.
How are you parenting and why?
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Do you want to change this style and why?
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If you’re looking for tips and advice on how to become a better parent, then look no further! Visit the full list to read more about parenting and get the help you need.
