Investigators have identified four parenting styles and how each style affects children. (This infographic is from Psychology, 5th Edition, Chapter 3.)
Authoritarian parents tend to have less socially skilled children. Permissive parents tend to have aggressive and less-controlled (immature) children. Negligent parents tend to have underachieving children. Authoritative parents tend to have self-reliant, socially competent children with high self-esteem.
(1) Parenting may shape (influence) children. (2) Parents may be responding to children’s traits (children may influence parenting). (3) Parents and their biological children may share traits (because they share genes) that influence social competence and other outcomes.
Consideration of children’s outcomes allows us to suggest that authoritarian parents may be considered “too hard,” permissive parents “too soft,” negligent parents “too uncaring,” and authoritative parents “just right."