But broadly speaking, one parenting style is miles better than the alternatives. Spoiler warning: it’s authoritative (not to be confused with authoritarian) parenting. To put it bluntly, you should aim to be an authoritative parent because it’s the healthiest for your children when it comes to building self-esteem, resilience, academic success, and emotional and mental well-being. Authoritative parenting is all about finding the right balance between unconditional love and firm boundaries for your kids. They establish very clear guidelines for their kids: they explain what behavior is acceptable, what’s not, and why. And they take their children’s feelings and opinions into account. It’s important to remember, though, that there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ parent. No matter what your social media feeds and random parenting blog posts tell you, all parents make mistakes from time to time. And that’s okay. Your success as a parent depends on your kids’ happiness rather than doing things ‘perfectly,’ following the latest parenting trends, and taking influencers’ tips as gospel. Don’t give in to the pressure from social media and your local neighborhood parents to behave a certain way just because it’s popular. Authoritarians are also likely to punish their children for misbehavior and mistakes. They have very high expectations but little flexibility and less ability to be nurturing. Often, permissive parents see their kids as their friends, so they rarely discipline them. This, in turn, can lead to their munchkins developing lots of unhealthy habits, which will have a knock-on effect on their health later in life. This can lead to self-sufficiency, sure, but it also results in poorer academic performance, difficulties maintaining relationships, and problems with emotional control. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
