A Guide To The 4 Most Common Parenting Types

When I was raising my girls, I didn’t really have “parenting types” in mind. My thought process was more along the lines of wanting to mimic the things that I appreciated from my childhood, while avoiding some of the mistakes that my mother and father made with me.

But, although I wasn’t attempting to follow a certain parenting plan, now that I know more about the main four types of parenting… I realize that I definitely fall into one category. At least, for the most part!

So I thought I’d create this post, as a quick introduction to the four most common parenting types. Just in case someone else is new to the concept. And if you can guess which type of parent I am, I’d love to hear in the comments!

What is a parenting type?

First off, let’s cover what a parenting type even is!

A parenting type, or parenting style, is essentially just a set of common characteristics that many different parents share. And these styles are usually discussed in the context of trying to decide which techniques are best, so comparison of various parenting types is seen fairly often. Although, as you’ll see… not all parenting types are created equal.

Specifically, the three out of the four we’ll diving into today were “created” by Diana Baumrind in the 60s. She proposed that there were three main styles, then later (in the 80s) one other was added to the list by some newer researchers. And now, we’re left with four!

So with that said, let’s dive into…

The 4 Main Parenting Types

1. Authoritative

Starting off strong, the authoritative parenting style is usually considered to be the best parenting type out of the main four! Because the basis of it is to firm with your child, but also to be nurturing. In other words, the authoritative style is all about balance!

Within this style, the parents set and maintain certain rules for their children. But they also make time to listen to their kid’s feelings, and they respond to mistakes with advice rather than criticism. Additionally, authoritative parents are typically not “helicopter” parents; and instead, they trust their children to follow the rules they’ve set.

Traits associated with kids that have been raised by parents with this style are typically known to be…

• Self-assured and confident
• Responsible
• And well adjusted

2. Authoritarian

Secondly, we have the authoritarian parenting type. Which is a style in which parents expect to be obeyed at all times, with harsh punishments being prepared in case a child breaks a rule. These parents usually have high standards, and this can lead to some issues in their children as they grow….

Such as feeling…

• Incapable of making decisions
• Unconfident
• And even rebellious in response to all the rules

3. Permissive

Next, we have the permissive parenting style. And it’s important to note that this is the last of Baumrind’s parenting types!

With permissive parenting, parents will usually set very few rules for their children. And they typically won’t deal out many punishments for misbehavior either, instead opting for talking and hugging things out with their kids.

But although that mind sound nice at first, the issue with permissive parenting is that it usually leaves the child in question without much structure. And it can lead to a child (and eventually an adult) with…

• No self control
• Very little ability to solve problems themselves
• And potentially even an attitude problem when things don’t go their way

4. Neglectful

Lastly, we have the neglectful parenting style. Which is the last one to be added to this group, and is potentially the worst one yet!

And this parenting style is fairly self explanatory… as it basically just refers to parents who let their kids fend for themselves.

As you can guess, this style isn’t met with the best results. And can often result in…

• Depression
• Issues with forming relationships
• Hostile behavior
• And low self esteem

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed learning about the four main parenting types! I personally relate the most to the authoritative parenting style, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of the other styles as well.

And as always, if you’re looking to learn more about parenting then please consider checking out some of my other content. Such as this article on how to create a kids shopping list.