And how will it impact your child or teen’s decisions regarding alcohol? Take the quiz to find out!
Authoritative parents focus on empowering their kids and teens to grow and learn. Expectations are set before agreements are not met and attached to firm consequences, and the reasoning behind these expectations are shared with the child.
Remember, it’s not about one parenting style being better than another. This is not meant for you to question every parenting action: “Am I being too permissive? Am I being authoritarian?” Too much questioning can paralyze you as a parent. Instead, be careful to avoid extremes and seek a positive balance.
As a note, research shows that positive parenting is the ONLY parenting style that’s consistently linked with kids who make better decisions when no parents are around. Even kids and teens of positive-style parents who do drink illegally tend to consume significantly less alcohol than a child of other parenting styles.
This parenting style takes a hands-off approach. Few expectations are set, so as to allow the child to be independent. These parents feel kids should be free to make mistakes and learn from them.
Like authoritarians, overprotective parents exert a significant amount of control in their child’s life, although with different methods. These parents work to shield their children from the harsh realities of life.
Parents who tend to use parental power for control. Children must do what they are told or else face serious consequences. Parents are unconcerned if kids understand the reasons behind the rules and use threats and punishments to keep their kids in line.