A child’s upbringing can have a huge impact on their emotional development. Each parenting style can determine how a child will behave and how successful he will be in life. Bad parenting can make a child more prone to make criminal offences and if a child is neglected then this can often lead to the child becoming depressed.
Some religious parents believe that raising their child to have faith in God, teaches children how to behave responsibly. Religious parents tend to view their childrearing as sacred and strive to raise their kids with self-control and good manners. Religious children may also strive to maintain discipline to please their parents and God. Some religious parents may put pressure on their child to believe in God. However, this could cause their child to become unhappy and more disobedient if they do not share the same beliefs.
Diana Baumrind was a developmental psychologist who specifically focused on parenting styles. In the 1960s Baumrind developed her pillar theory which talks about relationships between parents and their children. Baumrind developed three major parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative and permissive. The authoritarian parent is controlling and expects a lot from their child without providing warmth and affection to them. They expect their child to obey them without question and can often be strict which can affect a child’s behavior. Children might socially withdraw from others making it difficult to form trusting relationships and may have little control over their life.
The authoritative parent has high expectations although they are responsive to their child’s needs. These parents are often good listeners and will give their child advice when needed. Out of the three parenting styles Baumrind believed that this is the most successful way to parent, as children were more likely to have good self-esteem. Authoritative parents are reasonable and encourage their children to be independent but they expect mature behaviorism in return for this.
The permissive parent offers plenty of warmth and comfort to their child, however, they set no rules and do not discipline their child when needed. They have a more care free attitude and this can often lead to children growing up to be impulsive and lack self-control which can later affect them throughout adulthood.
Another parenting style, such as the uninvolved parent, may tend to their child’s needs but are generally detached from their child’s life. They make sure that their child has basic needs such as food/shelter, but don’t become emotionally involved or offer any guidance and support. Sometimes a parent may even neglect their child completely. This can cause a child to have long term emotional damage and may cause behavior issues into early adulthood.
Every family is different and every parent has a different view on how to raise their own child. Families play an important role in the emotional development and socialization of children. Parents are an infant’s first teacher in life and children depend on them to help them survive.