Of all of Baumrind's parenting styles, which has consistently been shown to be the most effective? How so?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Of all of Baumrind's parenting styles, authoritative parenting provides children with a balance of control and warmth, which yields the best outcome for children's health and well- being in the areas of social competence and psychosocial development. A number of research studies consistently demonstrate that:
- Children reared by authoritative parents exhibit more social competence than do other children (McClunn & Merrell, 1998; Steinberg & Morris, 2001; Amato & Folwer, 2002).
- Both boys and girls reared by authoritative parents exhibit lower levels of problem behavior across all stages of the lifespan, across all ethnic groups (Kim, Hetherington, & Reiss, 1999; Jackson, Henriksen, & Fosher, 1998).
- Children reared by authoritative parents are better able to balance the demands of conforming to others' expectations with their own need for uniqueness and autonomy (Durbin et al., 1993; Shucksmith, Hendry, & Glendinning, 1995).
- Both boys and girls tend to perform better in school if they are reared by authoritative parents- this higher level of performance is seen from preschool throughout early adulthood (Chen & Kaplan, 2001; Brooks-Gunn & Markman, 2005).
As Darling concludes, "Authoritative parenting is one of the most consistent family predictors of competence from early childhood through adolescence." It is indisputable that the manner in which parents interact with and guide their children impacts and influences their development in more ways than is immediately visible (such as behavior and school performance). Their children's abilities to love, to be loved by another, to feel secure and accepted, and to form attachment bonds with others –the very bonds that will allow children to someday enter into love relationships of their own-are also shaped by their parents' parenting style.