The tried and true authoritarian parenting style often receives mixed reviews when it comes to parenting styles. While some sing praise, many also warn against it being too strict an approach. In this article, we’ll explore authoritarian parenting behaviors and the effects of parenting with an irritable personality type alongside comparisons to other personality types. We’ll sprinkle in examples of authoritarian parenting to show you how these strategies work IRL. This comprehensive guide will help you explore almost every element of authoritarian parenting, so whether you’re a parent looking for a better understanding or just curious about how bad it can be, read on.
What are the four characteristics of authoritarian parenting?
Authoritarian parenting is characterized by high demands and control, while showing new zealand mobile database little warmth or responsiveness. It is a parenting style that often results in children being overprotective. Here are four basic characteristics of this type of parent:
Authoritarian Parenting
Strict rules and expectations. Authoritarian parents set strict rules and expect their children to follow them without exception. These rules can be strict and have very few margins. For example, a child may have a formal bedtime every night, and any attempt to break the rules will be severely punished.
A large criterion of obedience: In authoritarian families, obedience is the primary objective. Parents believe that their children must follow instructions, which often results in an environment where children believe they have little autonomy because everything is being decided for them. An example would be expecting children to do all their homework as soon as they walk home from school.
Limited Emotional Involvement - Authoritarian parents are generally not warm and loving. They may be less likely to give compliments or show physical contact to their children, and less likely to correct negative behavior and enforce rules. In doing so, you risk making your home a less child-friendly or enjoyable place to be.
Methods of Discipline In authoritarian parenting, discipline is often used as punishment. This can be anything from a frown to sadistic behaviors such as spanking. It is a reactive, grading, attempt to reinforce the performance of an unwanted behavior based primarily on fear of punishment. Consider the example of a child who talks to his parents and is held back for weeks.
What kind of children are raised by authoritarian parents?
There are many indicators and characteristics of children raised in authoritarian homes. The increased control combined with the reduced warmth that is common in this parenting style can contribute significantly to these characteristics. Some of the characteristics that are commonly seen in children raised by authoritarian parents include:
Obedient and skilled: Those raised in authoritarian homes develop excellent compliance skills and the ability to live up to expectations. They tend to be highly disciplined, conscientious, and responsive to strict rules that are put in place by them.
Lowered self-esteem can also contribute to the decline in self-esteem in these children. It all comes from not feeling emotionally warm and being held to high standards. They may feel unworthy of being accepted, but if they follow the rules well enough and accomplish things, they are seen as lovable.
Anxiety issues result in someone with C-PTSD being almost guaranteed to have higher levels of anxiety and depression than most other people. The relentless pressure to be 'good enough' for parents, as well as the fear of punishment, can result in increased vulnerability, anxiety and depression, leading these children to struggle, bottle up and have to deal with the end result of potentially serious mental health issues.
Less Social Skills: Children of authoritarian parents may have difficulty socializing. Their home lives may be so restrictive that they may not have the opportunity to develop necessary social skills, and that makes relationships outside the home difficult for them. They may struggle to make their own decisions and move forward in the social aspects of their lives.