10 - 3. Parenting practices

3. Parenting practices

© SPMM Course 3. Parenting practices Parenting style is a psychological construct representing standard strategies that parents use in child rearing and includes the demands of children and response of parents. With respect to parenting, quality of care is more important than quantity of time spent. Parenting practices are specific behaviours. Types of parenting: Maccoby and Martin described four parenting styles given in the table below. Corresponding to this classification, Baumrind described 3 response patterns in parents.

 Authoritative parenting: parents are demanding but responsive; fits propagative parenting and concerted cultivation  Authoritarian parenting: restrictive and punishment heavy; follow rules without explanation. High demand and low responsiveness.  Indulgent parenting: Low demand, high response, the parents are permissible and lenient with few behavioural expectations placed on the child – parents try to be friends with a child. As adults, those with indulgent parents pay less attention to avoiding behaviours which cause aggression in others.  Neglectful parenting: low demand, low response. These parents are detached and dismissive, not involved in the child’s life. Also dismiss child’s emotions and opinions.

Authoritative Authoritarian Permissive Neglecting Control Good degree of control High control Low or absent control Low or absent control Nurturance Adequate warmth and nurturance Poor nurturance High degree of nurturance and leniency Low nurturance; no warmth Maturity demands Ageappropriate demands expected High degree of demands placed on growing child No demands placed on growing child No demands placed Communication Free flowing, positive Poor flow of communication Inadequate communication Poor communication

Birth order is shown to have an effect on development through varying parenting practices.

Demanding Undemanding Responsive Authoritative/Propagative Indulgent (Permissive) Unresponsive Authoritarian/Totalitarian Neglectful