According to social historian Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, “keeping tabs” on children even when they are in college is a characteristic of good parenting as long as children have “the freedom to make a decision and live with its consequences” (qtd. in par. 2, 'Does Mother Know Best?'). To think about parenting styles, reflect on your own experience as well as your observations of other parent-child relationships. Your instructor may ask you to post your thoughts on a class discussion board or to discuss them with other students in class. Use these questions to get started: