Discussion of Parenting Styles

What I found most interesting about children’s development is that it is not about the
quantity of time that parents spend with their children that matters. What matters is quality of
their interactions. I expected that since low income working class parents often spend more time
with their children than wealthier middle class parents, their children would have better
outcomes. That is, however, not the case. It seems that what really helps children have better
outcomes in life are values and skills that their parents teach them and how they do the teaching,
not simply the time spent with their parents (Lareau 97). Looked at in this manner, it does not
come as a surprise that authoritative parenting style leads to the best outcomes for the child. The
style combines firmness, support, and warmth that children need to develop effectively
(Benokraitis 340). This approach helps the child grow into a competent, independent, self-reliant,
and self-assured adult.

I, however, felt that the discussion provided a overly simplified analysis of parenting and
child development. I believe that a child’s outcome is dependent on a combination of the child’s
temperament and their parenting style. In fact, rather than having fixed parenting styles, parents
adjust their styles to reflect the temperament of the child. For instance, parents may adopt

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authoritarian styles if the children are disobedient and difficult to handle or a permissive style if
the children seem to be naturally responsible and obedient. Thus, while I still believe that
authoritative parenting style provides the best outcomes for children in general, I also believe
that rather than choosing one style as the best for all children, parents would better choose
parenting styles and practices that are best suited for the temperaments of their kids.

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Works Cited

Benokraitis, Nijole Vaicaitis. Marriages and families: Changes, choices, and constraints. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2015.
Lareau, Annette. Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life. University of California
Press, 2011.