Parenting Style Authoritarian Parenting - Parents.

I'm Dr. Ari Brown, and I'm going to explain what it means to be an authoritarian parent. In the 1960s, psychologist Diana Baumrein studied preschoolers and their families and identified different parenting styles characterized by parents' expectations and responsiveness to their children. Authoritarian parents placed high demands on their children and believed that parents should have the power in the household. Authoritarian parents tend to use negative forms of discipline. They will take away privileges for poor behavior or resort to physical forms of punishment like spanking. Authoritarian parents often have one-way communications. They are not terribly responsive to a child's feelings or opinions. If a child questions the parent's rules or approach, a parent might respond, Because I said so. Authoritarian parents have firm rules and expect those rules to be followed. They may not be interested in problem-solving or finding creative solutions that work for everyone. What is the result? Studies have shown that children who grow up in authoritarian households are more likely to have poor self-esteem and poor relationships with others. They tend to be shy and struggle with making decisions. Most child development experts do not recommend this approach as it makes a child feel powerless and fearful of his parents. And some children who are raised this way tend to rebel later in life. As a pediatrician, I can tell you that I do not encourage this type of parenting style, nor do I recommend spanking. You are your child's role model, and you want to teach her to use her words, not her hands or her fists, when she is frustrated. It is much more effective to teach your child about the logical or natural consequence for inappropriate behavior than to spank her. While it is certainly reasonable to expect your child to behave properly, you also want to give your child a solid foundation that fosters her independence.