“What’s the best way to raise my child?”
That’s probably the question on every parent’s mind. While parenting is a two-way experience where lessons are learned by both child and parent on their own along the way, here are a few types of parenting methods that we have observed.
Tiger parenting
‘Achieve more and be the best’ – that’s the general motto for every tiger parent. A label started by Amy Chua in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother – her memoir sharing her family’s journey in different cultures – tiger parents relentlessly push their kids to be the best. Consistent A’s in exams, being top of the class and excelling in multiple extracurricular activities form just a few of the tiger parents’ demands.
As much as you’d like your child to do great things in life, remember that they are just children after all. Think back on your time as a child and how that once-in-a-lifetime experience would be made better with some enjoyment and freedom for all.
Helicopter parenting
Just like the hovering and whirring of a helicopter, this is where parents are over-protective and try to hard to shelter their children from almost everything. This can be detrimental to a child’s development, cause the child to become overly dependent and eventually produce a lack of overall maturity.
Want your child to be independent? Although it might be difficult to let your precious one do things alone without you around, it’s sometimes better to let go while allowing your child explore and discover life for themselves.
Permissive parenting
While being nurturing and loving is a wonderful aspect of parenthood, it can be easy to feel like you want to spoil your child and give them all the world has to offer. Parents who are overly permissive may be inconsistent with setting rules for behaviour and with disciplining their child. This can lead children to grow up lacking personal discipline, expecting instant gratification and being incapable of sticking to goals, because they are accustomed to always being given what they want, with minimal effort.
Guide your child on proper behaviour by disciplining them when necessary. It may just be chiding them in a firm tone when they’re doing something they aren’t supposed to – little things like these can indicate to children when they are doing something wrong and not to repeat the behaviour.
Uninvolved parenting
Neglecting your child is a sure way for them to grow detached from you, while being constantly anxious and afraid to trust anyone. Uninvolved parents distance themselves – both physically and emotionally – from their children. This causes the child to feel unloved and fosters a deep-rooted sense of insecurity, as parents are normally the first people they turn to for care and support.
As busy as you may be, try to spend as much time as possible with your child.
While this list forms a broad grouping of different parenting types, which may overlap or combine with individual ways of raising your child, it highlights traits to build on and avoid in your very special parenting journey.
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