What It Takes

3 Pages 701 Words

What it Takes

Perhaps more than at any other time in history, today’s parents are concerned about the future of their children. They want a child who will be happy, caring, and compassionate (Christopherson 3). A parenting style choice can mold a child to be this way or to be completely opposite.
Parenting style captures two important elements or parenting: parental responsiveness and parental control (Darling). Parental responsiveness is how well parents respond to their children’s needs and demands. Parental demanding ness is how well parents assert disciplinary efforts and how well they supervise.
Categorizing parents according to whether they are high or low on responsible demanding ness and responsiveness creates a typology of four parenting styles: indulgent, authoritarian, authoritative, and uninvolved (Darling)
Of these styles, authoritative parenting is the most effective. In this style, parents are highly demanding and responsive. “They monitor and impact clear standards for their children’s conduct. They are assertive but not intrusive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive” (qtd. in Baumrind 162) (Darling).
There are several contributing factors that lead to effective authoritative parenting. It is not easy and takes an abundance of time as well as patience and critical thinking. Authoritative parents focus on giving clear appropriate commands. By doing so, children know that parents mean business. A clear command is a simple imperative sentence. It is not asking a favor, sending an invitation, asking a question, or proposing a threat (Chidekel 119). A clear command is simple: “Pick up your toys” is an example. Its meaning is simply clear and direct. From this children will gain the knowledge of power of authority.
Most children want to belong to a peer group, but promoting the social- skill to do so is a parents task (...