A parenting style is a pattern of behavior that i

Parental discipline influences a child's social and emotional development. Parents are the primary educators and socialization agents of their children: "Studies have found that parental influence is a critical factor in the development of the child's self-esteem and in the child's academic achievement in school, and that parents often serve as a source of social support to the child and as role models for the child to imitate" (Beekman, 1989, p. 2). Children need to feel that they are valued by their parents. The style of parental discipline chosen often communicates to the child his or her esteem in the eyes of the parent.

Parenting styles can be envisioned based on two continuums of parental traits. The first contrasts the responsive with the nonresponsive parent. The second contrasts the demanding with the nondemanding parent. The responsive parent is sensitive to the needs of the child while the unresponsive parent is insensitive. The demanding parent sets clear, often inflexible, rules for the child while the nondemanding parent relinquishes control to the child. The ends of either continuum represent the extremes of these parental traits.

. . .
r and make their own decisions, consulting with their parents only if they want to" (Steinberg and Meyer, 1995, p. 305). The permissive parent may resort to threats but rarely follows through with actual punishment. Children of permissive parents lack adequate direction for their growth and development. Such children are like sailboats adrift at sea, blown in every direction by the winds of the world. Children require discipline because this is what is expected of them if they are to succeed in life. Permissive parents are doing a grave disservice to their children by not providing them with the guidelines necessary for them to achieve maturity. A style of parenting related to the permissive, is the disengaged parent. Such parents reject and/or neglect their children. They are mostly unresponsive and make minimal demands. Children of these parents are made to feel that they are a burden: "Children are largely ignored except when they make demands, which are usually responded to by parents with hostility and explosion" (Kipke et al., 1997, p. 2). The disengaged parent rarely cares about the child until he or she becomes a problem. The third most common parenting style is the authoritative parent. This parent is b
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Steinberg Meyer, Choice Theory, , Miller Solomon, Holmbeck O'Donnell, A19511219 Download, Kipke Michele, parenting style, Diverse Societies, steinberg meyer 1995, References Beekman, steinberg meyer, meyer 1995, Clearinghouse Cataldo, social relationships, authoritative parents, choice theory, authoritative parent, external control, external control psychology, child's behavior, parental goals, san francisco jossey-bass, eds parental behavior, west eds parental,
Approximate Word count = 2112
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)