Parents, teachers, and policy makers have to take a stance on how to interact with children. Now that you have seen how developmental researchers classify and describe parenting climate and style, how do we share this theory and research responsibly with stakeholders (parents, teachers, and policy makers)? What dangers might there be in just sharing these data and results indicating a relationship between parenting styles and child outcomes? Lastly, should we use "pop" or mainstream conceptions of parenting, such as snowplow or helicopter parenting, in discussing research and theory on parenting with the public?
Knowing all the theories and research is helpful for my own knowledge of the “best” way to parent, but knowing how to communicate the information to the people in a child’s life is another obstacle. There are some dangers in sharing this data with parents. If you tell parents that authoritative is the best way to parent, then if their child has problems they could blame it on you. There are so many different ways to parent, and there is never one correct way. Children respond differently to different parenting styles, so this makes it difficult when trying to find the right way to be a parent. I think it is good that we use snowplow and helicopter parent because they are mainstream and get parents to learn more about parenting. It gives them a small portion of parenting climate and style without the research and classes. The problem with having these terms in the mainstream media causes other parents to judge one another and label parents. Parents do not always just have one parenting style, so it is unfair to label them as such.
ReplyDeleteHey Julia, awesome post! I hadn't thought about it but you are totally right when you talk about parents judging and labeling other parents. It's really unfortunate but I think that it's easier for parents to judge and pick out what other parents are doing wrong instead of being able to look at themselves and what they are doing that isn't ideal.
DeleteI love how you wrote about the topic! You gave great examples that really clear up the discussion. Would you yourself ever feel comfortable trying to relay this kind of message to a helicopter/ snowplow parent? Like you said, that could create a very sensitive conversation. Thanks Julia!
DeleteParents, teachers, and policy makers must decide how to interact with their children, and there is much research that has been done to help them decide how to act towards the children. But, in today’s day and age, parents especially can take constructive criticism the wrong way when it comes to raising their children. Like we learned in the reading “Parents Behaving Badly”, parents are becoming more and more involved in their kid’s lives outside the home, specifically in the classroom. Parents want their children to have the best teacher, best grades, and best education, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure their children receive just that.
ReplyDeleteTo share how researchers classify parenting climate and style in a responsible manner to parents, teachers, and policy makers may be a difficult task to manage. I think the information should be given subtly, and in a positive, non-demeaning manner. The definitions of parenting climate and style should be shown to all teachers and parents, because it is important that they know how their parenting styles can affect their children later in life. However, parents might take offense if they are just told “you are parenting you child wrong”. Parents should be educated about the research that has been done on parenting styles in order to maybe adjust theirs. It could be potentially “dangerous” if parents are given the information of parenting styles correlating with child outcomes, because they could take offense, or think that they are a terrible parent even if they are not. I think that the terms “snowplow” and “helicopter” parent can be used when discussing research and theory on parenting to the public, because they are terms that definitely apply to some parents. I believe that those parents who are “snowplow” or “helicopter” need to be shown what they are doing, because maybe they are not fully aware of their actions and how their actions are potentially negatively affecting their child.
Kayla, I kinda said the same thing about when parents are told how to raise their child. The parents would take offense and then would try to justify their parenting style, for obvious reasons. Most parents are trying to raise good kids, and it's a lot harder than it seems, so no research or study is going to change that.
DeleteConsidering there is no “best” way to parent I think that is difficult to tell parents, teachers, and policy makers the “right” way to do things. Sure based off studies we have found that out of the four styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and neglectful) authoritative has the best outcomes with the child. However, I think it is hard to relay this information on because all parents want to believe that what they are doing is the best for their kid, no one wants to hear they are doing a bad job at parenting. A good way to go about passing on the information found in studies would be to do it in a subtle way, or to give parents, teachers, and policy makers the chance to use the information on their own. If parents, teachers, and policy makers think that the information is something they found they are more willing to take it seriously. I don’t believe that forcing them to see it would do any good, I think that people would just feel attacked. I think that it is important to discuss and recognize helicopter parenting and snowplow parenting when looking at parenting styles, however I think it is good to understand that this isn’t necessarily a good way to parent. Snow plow and helicopter parents tend to be a lot to deal with and add pressure on their children. To me they relate to the authoritarian parenting style in the way that they are very high control over situations and that they put pressure on their kids.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post. It is almost like you have to pass the information on to parents as if they were kids. If they think it's their idea, chances are they will be more stoked about it. However anytime a study such as this is posted to the internet for everyone to see, some will take it with a grain of salt where as others may take it too seriously, or not even realize they fall under the authoritarian style.
DeleteI like your approach to offering suggestions without the other parent feeling like they are horrible. It is such a sensitive topic that we need to be careful how we approach this subject. There is no perfect way to parenting and every parent makes mistakes. I think it is important to help them become a better one rather than talk them down. Great post!
DeleteParenting and interacting with a child can be a very sensitive topic for some, it is important that the way researchers share this information is in some ways discrete. This is primarily because many of the results have shown that the child is predisposed to the parents genetics and that someone's parenting style is also a product of genetics. When an individual goes out searching for parenting advice, they want advice that they can take action on, and actively do to become a “better parent.” In order to best share these kinds of studies, taking an optimistic approach in my opinion is best. Rather than saying “don’t do this etc,” offer studies that show how to actively engage with your child to prepare them for success. These types of things are child directed speak, emotional coaching, evocative styles which allow your to adapt the environment to the child’s tendencies opposed to pushing your own genetic predispositions on them as much. Schools also have the ability to integrate these styles in a discrete way by placing children into small groups, working on task persistence activities and adjusting accordingly.
ReplyDeleteAnytime you provide studies that have to do with parenting and child outcome you risk the assumption of oversimplifying parents and reasoning the fact that every child is different and predisposed to different genetic tendencies. The problem with this is that a lot of parenting is out of the control of most parents. There are guidelines to help a child transition smoothly, but that will only come naturally to some parent. Others will have to continually fight their tendencies to do so. (Scarr's idea of a good enough parent. Those who want to be super mom will go online and research how to be super mom.)
In regards to pop culture references such as “snow plow parenting,” I don’t think it is problematic. These kinds of references make big theories and research slightly more digestible.
I personally do not think there is any simple way to tell parents, teachers, or policy makers about how to treat children especially because there is no one answer. People have been parenting in similar ways as their parents due to their inherited genetic makeup so even presenting the information gathered from research may not make much of a difference.
ReplyDeleteIf information regarding parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful) were to be released, many dangers could occur. Parents would most likely get defensive and have an outrage because they do not want to believe their child could turn out a certain way. Psychologists also run into the danger of people pointing out the flaws in their research such that many other factors play a role in a child's outcome, not just how one's parenting style is. I also think discussing snowplow or helicopter parenting could be a major danger zone when presenting it to the public because people in general do not like being attacked. If snowplow or helicopter parenting were to be released, the research would no longer have any effect on parenting, rather it would have an effect on parent's outrage.
Hey Brianna, good post! I find it interesting that you said research about helicopter/snowplow parenting wouldn't do anything for parenting style but for the outrage of parents. I can agree with you on that considering how sensitive people are regarding their children. No parent wants to think about how their actions will negatively influence their kid, they only want to think about the positive.
DeleteTalking to parents and teachers about different parenting styles and teaching techniques can be a sticky topic because every parent thinks their parenting style is the best for their particular child. Even though this might be a difficult subject, I think it would be very beneficial for parents, teachers, and policy makers that the data and information that child development researchers have found should be broadcasted and made readily available to the public. Especially for new parents, because they are so eager to learn what the best possible parenting technique should be for their child. Because of the uniqueness of every individual child’s needs, I think there would be some definite dangers in just throwing out some of the statistics of certain parenting techniques in relation to childhood outcomes. We can’t, for example, just come out and say that the authoritarian parenting technique is one of the worst styles of parenting out there and that every child experiencing this parenting style will never be successful. Some children might very well do better under that sort of parenting style; therefore, we can’t outright condemn one particular parenting or teaching style. In regard to whether we should address the modern terms of “helicopter” or “snow-plow” parenting in discussing parenting theories, I think that yes, they definitely need to be defined and the data needs to be displayed about the effectiveness of these different styles. Again, we cannot come out and just ridicule these styles for their faults, but simply, we need to explain the statistics and give the available data about them. Dr. Risser has mentioned several times in class that there isn’t one particular parenting style that is the absolute best or “everyone would be doing it.” I totally agree with this statement and believe that there is not a “one size fits all” type of parenting style, but I do think it is necessary that we educate parents on the different styles in order that they can make an informed decision on how to best parent their children.
ReplyDeleteMadison,
DeleteI agree with you that parents, teachers, and policy makers should know about the data that developmental researchers have found. Although there is no "correct" way to raise children, some parenting styles have better outcomes for children. The public should be informed about the results of this research so they can make an informed decision about their parenting strategies.
After learning all the theories and research done on parenting and all the different types of styles is very helpful. Trying to tell a parent how to raise their children based on these theories is a whole different aspect. There is no “right” was to be a parent and raise a child, each child has different needs that need to be addressed and may need a different type of parenting style. I think it is very important for parents, teachers, and policy makers to understand the parenting styles and how they can impact children in the moment and later on in life. However, educating them about this matter is very hard to do without offending someone. My approach would be to educate them on all the styles and not say what is right or wrong. I think that the terms “snowplow” and “helicopter” parenting should be used when discussing parenting styles to the public. I think these terms sum up the types of parenting without being “offensive”. I think parents and teachers need to be educated of parenting styles and they ways that they can affect their child’s development.
ReplyDeleteLeah,
DeleteGreat paragraph, I completely agree with you, there are so many different needs that have to be addressed to children. Just educating parents and teachers on the different parenting styles is scary enough, but every child is different. Although I do have to disagree with you on the snowplow and helicopter parenting styles. Yes, I agree they do need to be addressed to the public and educate them about their styles. I just feel those terms will push the parents into the defensive side. This conversation with parents, teachers or policy makers is going to be difficult and tricky no matter how a person tries to present it, but it should most definitely be done to educate the public.
I believe that there is not a responsible way of sharing the theory and research responsibly. The reason for this is because people have their own ways of teaching and they bounce ideas of their parents, who actually have experience with parenting. Even though the parenting styles may be effective, parents will take their own parent’s word over a psychologist.
ReplyDeleteThe dangers in sharing this data and results would be that many people could take offense and begin an argument. They could rebel, rather than accept it and try it for themselves. People might ask the psychologists if they are parents, and if they aren’t people could tell them that they have no business, and do not know anything about parenting, researching this and telling them how to raise their children.
I believe that we should not use the words snowplow and helicopter when describing parenting. This can lead to more anger problems with society. Parents would tell psychologists that there is not one correct way of raising a child. They would tell them that they are trying their hardest to raise good kids. I mean to be honest, who would want to be described as that? Parents would rather be critiqued in a not so “harsh” way.
Katherine, our views on this topic are very similar and we brought up many closely related points. One thing I did not think about until I ready your post was about how parents may ask psychologists if they have children. This was a great point to bring up and I agree it could create much conflict between the parent and psychologist when really all the psychologist is trying to do is help the parent choose an effective parenting style.
DeleteWhile it may be obvious that some parenting styles and techniques are more effective for raising well rounded children, there is no easy or comfortable way to tell parents how to do their job. However, it is clear that parents do need to take a stance when it comes to how they choose to take care of their children. While presenting and sharing the information may be easy, the fact is that parents may feel forced into parenting their children in a certain way and in turn, this may not be the correct parenting style for all children. Children all have different needs and one parenting style, while it may be the “correct” way is not going to work for every single child. On top of this, if parents were told about the parenting style with the best outcome and then use it and have children with problems later on in life, they may blame whoever explained the parenting style to them.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be important to discuss snowplow and helicopter parenting to parents, once again these types of parenting may not work for all parents. However, there are benefits to these types of parenting such as with snowplow parenting children would have few to no obstacles in life, but the issue is that when faced with problems as they are older and away from their parents they may not know how to react. There really is no correct way to parent and it takes trial and error from both the parents and children to decide what parenting style is going to work best for them and be the most effective.
Maggy, you made a great post regarding parenting styles and I liked how you focused on the difficulties and negative side effects of sharing the studies completed on the "correct" parenting styles. I would like to further explain snowplow parenting, specifically the down sides. You mentioned that a positive could be that the child doesn't have to face any obstacles which could lead to issues as they get older. The issues that the majority of children in that situation face are the raising rates of suicide attempts because they have never had to face adversity and when they move out, it can many times be overwhelming. This is why I believe the results need to be shared so that the best for the child is taken into consideration.
DeleteTo have a discussion with either parents or teachers on how children should be raised and taught would be terrifying in my thoughts. Although I do feel that educating parents, teachers and even policy makers on all the different types of parenting climate and styles would be beneficial in the long run. Any information on child development should be available to the public and easily obtained so parents who are questioning themselves or better yet first-time parents can be well aware of all the pros and cons on raising a child a certain way. There should not be any danger in sharing the data and information on parenting climate and style. What would cause some issue or danger is trying to say a certain type of parenting is a good way to raise a failure. No parent wants to be told they are raising their child wrong and it will be their fault if the child comes out as a failure. Parents want to give their child the best and say their parenting style was perfection, so sharing the theories on parenting is going to be helpful more times then not. In terms of “snowplow” or “helicopter” parenting I believe that the public should be educated on their pro and cons just as much as any other parenting style. Children are all so different and maybe one type of parenting works effectively with one child but not the other. This causing the importance of educating parents and teacher on all different parenting styles, even up to the “pop” or mainstream conception of parenting.
ReplyDeleteAnn, I agree with you! I think that it would help parents, teachers and policy makers to know about the parenting styles, but it is such a hard topic to discuss without offending anyone. I think that each child needs their own type of parenting and not every child is the same so it would benefit parents to know about the different styles so they can decide what styles to use and not to use for their child. Great post!
DeleteThere are several wrong ways to go about sharing the research on parenting styles/climate with parents or caregivers, we certainly do not by any means want to say that x, y, or z is best since every kid and parent is different, what works well for one set might not for another. The "best" way to share the research in my opinion is to tell parents that certain characteristics of the authoritative style that Baumrind describes have been shown to relate positively with healthy development with a "normal" child. Obviously there's the risk of that particular parenting style not being effective for that parent and child and there's also the risk of the parent feeling like they've done something wrong or are a terrible parent because their child isn't receptive to a certain style. It's really dangerous to tell someone that parenting a certain way will definitely result in their child being better adjusted, having better grades, or having a lower risk for mental health issues. I think it's probably the most important to make sure that while you're speaking with the parent to place a lot of emphasis on this being a relationship we've observed and isn't something that we can say definitively causes certain outcomes for development. I think that discussing snow plow parenting or other parenting "fads" in this conversation is also pretty important, since in the case of specifically snowplow parenting, we've found some adverse relationships when the child reached adolescence and adulthood, but we should treat them in the same way as we would treat any of Baumrind's styles, because even though they might not be one of her four, there are children being raised in those ways, and enough children being raised in those ways for me to feel comfortable saying that they're established parenting styles.
ReplyDeleteAfter learning about the different parenting styles in class I think I have a pretty good idea on what could have negative impact on my child and what could have a positive impact. With that said, I have no idea as to what kind of personality or traits my child might have. I think people should take into consideration that not all children are made equally, and each child might need a tweak or two in the parenting style. What I am trying to get at is that I think it is important as a parent to adapt to your child by changing your parenting style to fit them. Releasing this type of information publicly could have its ups and downs. This is said because some parents might take this information quite literally and become upset with the outcome of their child. Other parents might take offense to this because they might feel guilty or shameful of their parenting style. On the positive side, parents might come to the realization of their wrongful parenting such as being neglectful and try to change for the better. I think when it comes down to it this is very complicated matter, and the parents that care enough will find this information eventually through other sources.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think that the terms “snowplow” and “helicopter” parenting should be used in mainstream. I say this because people need to realize that this type of parenting style can be suffocating and debilitating to problem solving. If you do not let your child face adversity on their own, when they get to the real world they will become helpless. I’m not saying don’t help your child out, but don’t try to pave a very smooth path to adulthood. The stresses in life are what makes people stronger and more resilient.
I completely agree that stress is essential (as weird as that sounds). I think that helps develop humans and their experiences in life. The real world is a rough place and if you can't manage your stress, it will eat you alive!
DeleteI believe that there is really no "right way" to share this information. The research on rearing a child or applying the "correct" parenting style is never going to be the same for every family. I personally don't have children, but I'd imagine that it's a lot harder to raise another human being and being responsible for their over all outcome. Every parent has a different way to teach their child. Some children work better with certain parenting styles compared to others, that is just the way it's always going to be. The" snowplowing" and "helicopter" should be talked about, because both can lead to the abnormal development of a young person. I believe that everyone should experience stress, because that is the way we learn to cope with stressful life events. With out this, children will more than likely grow up never learning how to deal with stress in college, the work place, or future relationships. This could lead to severe depression or chronic anxiety issues. Parents should help and encourage their children through all stages of life, but at some point it is up to the child to take what ever they were taught and apply it to their own individual lives. In this situation, there's no right or wrong answer. It is all based on the individual child and their parents.
ReplyDeleteTaylor, you say there is no "right way" to share the information. Do you think it shouldn't be shared at all? Raising a perfect child with no obstacles in life isn't necessarily all that healthy--I agree.
DeleteTelling parents how to parent is a perfect way to walk into an argument/disagreement. Every (well, most) parents think they are doing what is best for their child and that is why they are doing what they are doing. No parent wants to hear that they are doing a bad job or could change something. It is also hard to compare parenting styles because all children are so different and have different temperaments and require different ways of being disciplined, cared for, etc. Just because one parent doesn't agree on something another parent does, it doesn't mean that other parent is wrong; what he/she is doing might be best for their child. Parenting is very subjective.
ReplyDeleteThe snowplow and helicopter parenting should be discussed because they can set an example on what not to do and reroute a path for parenting for moms and dads to better help their child.
Ali, I agree with you that children are so different and that it is hard to to find one parenting style that works for different children, even within the same family. As stated in class, if there is one right way to parent, why isn't that the only style? Everybody has their own idea on what is right for their child, even if it isn't right through someone else's eyes. This was very well put.
DeleteWhen sharing this research with stakeholders, we need to be cautious of how it may be interpreted by stakeholders. Some may not agree with the results and claim the results to not be true. Stakeholders may also be offended and feel that they are being targeted. They also may not see what is wrong with their parenting styles and claim that they were raised that way and ended up fine. I believe that mainstream conceptions of parenting should be identified and pointed out. The effects of these conceptions should also be pointed out as they inhibit a child’s ability to cope with their environment and affect their ability to become successful adults.
ReplyDeleteMacKenzie,
DeleteI agree that the effects of parenting styles on the development of children should be given to parents, teachers, and stakeholders. Although some parents may disagree, and take offense to the information, I think it is important that parents have the ability to know how their parenting can affect their child. If done in a respectable, non-demeaning manner, this information could benefit many parents and children.
If people told other parents how to raise their children, we would have a lot of disagreements. Even though a lot of parents don't agree with how others raise their children that doesn't mean they are going to listen. If you told a parent that they should be more authoritative style versus a permissive style do you think they would actually listen? And if for some reason they did listen and the child ended up being a horrible influence to others with bad grades and a horrible attitude they would go back to the parent who influenced them and blame them for the outcome.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the parent should choose how to raise their own child because that's their responsibility. If the parent chooses the wrong one then maybe they can adjust their teaching towards the child. Coach them in ways that will benefit them the best for a better outcome.
I think that the snowplow and helicopter parenting should be talked about amongst other parents but they should not be used in a parenting style unless the parent does a small mix of both. Snowplow parents believe that they need to remove any obstacle from their childs life so they child doesn't have to worry or deal with those issues. Helicopter parents kind of act like a shadow on their child. They do everything with the child and not really letting them try anything on their own. With snowplow parents the child won't learn how to take care of themselves in the future. For the helicopter parenting the child will almost have the same outcome but will feel more trapped in most situations.
To conclude I believe that parents should be educated on different parenting styles but should not be encouraged towards one or the other. They need to choose that path for them and their child on their own.
Stephanie,
DeleteWe both have very similar opinions on effective ways to educate parents on parenting styles, and also the parenting styles that we believe are most effective. I agree that a little mix of both snowplow and helicopter parenting should be used to effectively parent your child. Just using one or the other could cause future problems like the child being more dependent on their parent and never learning anything on their own, or a child being more rebellious. I enjoyed reading your post!
I feel like talking about someone’s child to them can be a sensitive situation in itself, let alone trying to tell them how to properly parent and discipline the child. I think learning these parenting styles is great for myself in the future, but it could be hard to get snowplow/ helicopter parents to see the benefits of a different, more “recommended” type of parenting.
ReplyDeleteSharing these results could create an unwanted response. Those parents who do try a different style of parenting may blame anything that goes wrong on that new style. I think to certain extent it is important to use terms that everyone can understand so it isn’t hard to debate what a “helicopter” parent is. Even though certain styles of parenting, teaching, etc. are “looked down upon”, I can understand how it can be confusing to deal with children in today’s society. A lot of parents grew up a certain way and then suddenly they shouldn’t parent the only way they know how, or they think they turned out well, so the children will too. I do think everything should be done in the child’s best interest, but everyone deserves time to adjust to the new.
Katy,
DeleteI think your first statement is absolutely spot on. Talking to parents about their child and "how to parent" is a very sensitive subject, seeing as the way a person parents affects who the child becomes. I also think that how parents grow up and how they were "parented" plays a huge role in the way that they expect to parent. What do you think?
Parenting can be a very difficult topic to talk about because there is no one way to do it. There are many ways to parent a child, and although research has shown that some parenting styles may be better than others, this is not true for an individual child. Every child develops differently, and therefore, there is no “right” way to parent a child. If there was, every parent would be using it. Although there is no right way to parent a child, I do believe that the research that has been done on parenting styles should be given to the public. I think that parents should have the option to look at research that has been done on the development of children. However, I don’t think that parenting styles should be looked down upon, but rather the positives of each parenting style should be given along with the statistics on how children developed with the different parenting styles. Giving parents this information could be potentially dangerous because parents may take offense to it. Many parents believe that they are doing what is best for their child, and won’t want to hear that they are parenting their child the “wrong” way. This information could also potentially scare new parents because they won’t want to parent their child the “wrong way”. Looking at statistics on how parenting styles affect the child’s development could be overwhelming to expecting parents. Especially seeing statistics on school achievement, and depression and anxiety rates. I think that the term snowplow and helicopter parenting should also be brought up. These parenting styles have major effects on the development of children, and parents should be able to see these statistics. It is important that parents know the different parenting styles and how they can affect their child. Giving parents this information could be very beneficial if done in a respectable, non-degrading manner.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Alivia! No parent wants to hear that what they are doing is wrong but giving them the information to other styles and options may help them and push them in the right direction. We have to be respectful towards them otherwise they aren’t going to listen.
DeleteThe notion that psychologists know what should and should not be done in parenting is helpful, but on a personal note, I'd be concerned that parents wouldn't listen. With Baumrind's classifications of the different parenting styles, I believe there's a genetic dispostion that would influence how people interact with each other and their children. Disorders can make it difficult for particular parents to understand the pros and cons of how they respond to their children. The idea that someone can tell people how to parent may be easier said than done. The children themselves may make parenting more difficult, as the child may also have a disorder or a disability that would make typical parenting methods unhelpful. Some children need to be parented in a particular way, due to the particular needs of that child. If a trauma, i.e. death of a parent/sibling, divorce, etc. were to occur, the resulting effect on the conscious of the child may make the so called "better" ways to parent more difficult. I don't think there is one right way to parent, as there are too many other factors to consider. There are multiple ways to be a good parent, but I believe there is a general consensus as to what makes up bad parenting. Snowplow and helicopter parenting I feel contribute to bad parenting on the lesser end of the spectrum, as they tend to take over life of the child. Helicopter parents can put too much stress on the child as they try to be involved in every aspect of the child's life and does not really give the child the chance to experience life or make their own mistakes so that they can learn from them. Snowplow parents don't really let the child do anything, as they do everything for the child so as to make their life as easy as possible. In the instance that a hardship occurs, the child will be unsure of what happens for possibly the first time in their life. It's important for children to understand that life is not easy. It never has been. It's important for the child to live their life rather than parents interfering with life, because there are some things the parents can't control.
ReplyDeleteLearning about how researchers classify and describe parenting style was very interesting, and beneficial. I think there are a few possible ways to share this research but there is no best way because of all the factors that influence parenting. Describing each parenting style would automatically make most parents think “oh authoritative is the best style.” Which may seem true but putting all factors into play may not be possible. Some parents are incapable of parenting their child in this way due to their own reasons, or the way the child acts and responds to them. If a parent was trying too hard to go with an authoritative approach and was unable to do it or have the child react in a way that was acceptable to them, they may become frustrated and have other problems arise. Cleary an uninvolved style would not be the way to go as most would hopefully understand. Another factor that may influence things would be more than one parent. If there are two parents in the household, which most do have, it would be hard for the child if one parent was say using authoritative and the other was permissive. I think using mainstream conceptions of parenting in research such as snowplow and helicopter parenting actually may be useful. Describing these to parents and having some realize that this is the way they are behaving could possibly lead to better approaches. On the flip side some parents may try too hard to avoid these styles which could lead to problems in the child’s behavior in some manner.
ReplyDeleteAfter years of studying, developmental researchers have come up with many different types and styles of parenting and every psychologist studying this has a different opinion in some sort of way. With that being said, it is hard to tell people the “right” way to raise their children. The best way to share these theories would be to educate parents, teachers, and policy makers. Show them the different outcomes (pros and cons) for each parenting style and let them decide what is the best way to go about raising their children.
ReplyDeleteIt is always risky telling a parent they are parenting wrong because the majority of parents want what is best for their kid and think they are raising their kid to be the best he/she can be. By telling the parents they are doing something wrong, may result in a defensive parent that will not take advice.
In my opinion, the helicopter parenting is the best way to go because these parents are engaged in their child’s life, showing affection, and support. All these qualities of parent’s have great outcomes for their child.
I think it is critical that the research that has been done on parenting styles and how children develop regarding the different types of parenting needs to be shared with parents. The research that should be accessible to parents doesn’t give a cookie cutter way to parent a child to have positive outcome however showing this research would give parents a chance to try many ways to parent their child the best. Each and every child has a very unique and different personality. This being said, some children are unlikely to listen to their parents and their parents could no longer be as accepting because the parent would have to be stricter with the child for his safety and for a better chance at raising a good child. Listing all of the parenting styles and their average outcomes would be the best way to publish the information. If parents are researching the best ways to parent a child all of the evidence and findings needs to be visible and accessible so the parents can make the best decision while taking into account all of the information. There could be many potential issues that would surface if the results of parenting styles were shared with parents and other stakeholders. Many parents are very sensitive and don’t like to be told how to parent their child. So, if some parent see the reports including the outcomes of certain parenting styles, they may take offense and feel that people are telling them that they are parenting their child incorrectly. As I said before I do believe all research that has been done regarding parenting styles should be shared. This includes snowplow and helicopter parenting styles. Helicopter parenting is typically prevalent in higher class families and it describes when parents are hovering over their child and are increasing their hands-on interactions by 12 hours compared to the 1970’s. Snowplow parenting is very similar, but they specifically are known for removing obstacles that are in front of their kids. It is crucial to report the finding about these two types of parenting styles because they increase the rates of mental illnesses and snowplow parenting styles tend to increase suicide rates because their child had never had to deal with facing adversity until they are out of the house. So while some parents may disagree and feel bothered by the publication of these facts, I believe the benefits are far greater.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many type of parenting and each one of them have their pros and cons. I liked learning about the different parenting style and know what suggestions they offer. I do think its a good idea to bring the information out to the world to educate people but in a soft approach. What I meant is to talk about this subject in a general crowd and just present the facts. That way no one thinks its directly towards them. I do believe that there will be some backlash against it but there will be some people who would benefit from it. This goes with snowplowing parenting styles too. We need to educate the public about it but we need to do it in a soft way. Parenting styles effects the child's life so there is a life at sake here.
ReplyDeleteKatariina,
DeleteI agree with your ideas! I like what you said about a soft approach. I was also thinking that the best idea was just to present the informati8on and let people choose for themselves. Great post!
It is hard to share our theories with parents, teachers, and policymakers because strategies that work best for one group of children may work in the opposite way for other children. The ways the we do share these theories include blog posts, word-of-mouth, research pamphlets, and parenting videos/classes. Because of the limited ways to share this information, it makes it difficult to share any parenting strategies. The dangers in sharing this information is that not all children react to one parenting style in the same way. Each child will respond differently, therefore, there is not just one “correct” way. In discussing research on parenting with the public, we should not necessarily be using mainstream concepts such as the snow plow or helicopter parenting. I believe that there should be a better balance between removing obstacles and being involved in “every” aspect of a child’s life.
ReplyDeleteSimply talking about the different theories with parents, teachers, and policymakers could be an easy conversation to have but when it comes to telling them which is the best way to raise children is a whole other conversation. I believe that we can talk to these people about studies and what the studies have shown but I do not think we can easily say this is the one you should model. Parenting styles have a correlational relationship with how their child turns out but there are those studies where the child does not turn out as expected. Since there are the studies that don't really line up I believe we should give this information to parents but not tell them that this is the exact one you should do. The danger that can come with telling parents that a certain parenting style is the best is if the child doesn't come out as expected and the parents either blame the researcher or themselves. This could cause parents to think that they messed up some where to make their child ac out. If we are going to tell parents these results than we need to inform them that it doesn't always turn out this way so they are aware that it's not their fault. I believe that the public has a right to know about these research and results but it needs to be made clear that there are studies where the child turned out different from the average.
ReplyDeleteRylee,
DeleteI like that you pointed out that sometimes a child does not turn out right and sometimes it might not always be because of bad parenting. i think most parents hold themselves to high standards and blame themselves for their childs wrong doing.
A good way to responsibly and effectively share these theories with stakeholders such as parents and teachers is to present these theories to them, without telling them how to parent their children, and without making them feel like they are doing something wrong. There could always be some conflict or disagreement, especially involving topics like parenting styles and how to raise your children. However, there is no perfect way to raise a child. Most adults raise their children based on how they were raised as a child themselves, rejecting certain aspects that they did not agree with, and adopting aspects that they felt were beneficial. Like I mentioned before, presenting these parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and neglectful) to parental figures could arise in problems since it is such a sensitive topic.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if the mainstream conceptions such as helicopter parenting and snowplow parenting are used, you should use both and not just one or the other. If only snowplow is used, the child will be 100% dependent upon the parent for everything, and will never learn how to do anything for themselves. The child should learn that making mistakes is okay, and making them can teach them good life lessons. If only helicopter parenting is used, the parent will be too hands on which could cause the child to be more rebellious. An even amount of both of these parenting styles would be more effective for children.
Educating parents on these theories can be a dangerous topic, but can also have very great outcomes for their children.
Through plenty of conversations with parents and teachers, alike, each and every one of us would be able to see how different each point of view can be. This is definitely considered a touchy subject because most all parents believe that their actions have been the best possible for their child. While this is something to consider, I believe the benefits of having open conversations involving child rearing outweigh the downsides of potentially insulting one another’s parenting practices. This is especially because the amount of research behind practices like Authoritative parenting seems indisputable. These kinds of discussions would also be very welcomed by new parents and those who are thinking of becoming parents. While taking these into account, the individual cases of all children need to be taken into account when deciding how controlling or accepting a parent needs to be with their child. Lastly, when considering the “pop” or mainstream parenting techniques we have discussed in class, I am convinced that each the “helicopter” and “snowplow” parents hold overbearing qualities compared to other, lesser known, styles of parenting.
ReplyDeleteI think it it would be very hard to enforce this theory with parents and teachers. there are a few problems i can see with trying get people to use an authoritative parenting style. there will always be people that will not believe in the validity of this theory. some people think that because they were spanked and yelled at when they were a child and they "turned out just fine" that it does not have that big of an impact on a childs outcomes later in life. I do think that some people would adhere to this advice in parenting but many people do not want to be told they are parenting the wrong way. i personally do not like the terms snow-plow parenting or helicopter parenting. Those terms do clearly distinguish two types of parenting, but i think because those two groups are "pop" mainstream types they carry a lot of stigma. To me i think of authoritative parenting a little differently than a helicopter parent. I do not think the terms snow-plow or helicopter parents should be used when discussing parenting with the public.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking to teaching parents, teachers, and policy makers about interacting with children, there are a few things we need emphasize. The first thing we would need to make sure that people understand is that there is not one right style of parenting. Every child is different, and some may end up needing a mix of parenting styles throughout their life. The effectiveness of the style depends on how a child responds to it. The second thing they need to know is that no parenting styles guarantee that the child and parent will have a specific relationship. Some people may think that a child who has an authoritarian style of parenting is going to hate their parents or have a bad relationship. This isn’t always true. Some kids may respond positively to this style and end up with a great relationship with their parents. When it comes to mainstream conceptions most of the terms are mostly used to describe when a parenting style is taken to an extreme. These kinds of styles are usually given a bad rap. This brings me back to my point about how children respond to different styles. If being a helicopter parent works for a child and a parent, then why change it?
ReplyDeleteThe ongoing topic of how to correctly parent a child is always on everyones minds. This can be a touchy subject for most parents. Some may find the research and how parenting can impact a child offensive. As we all know all children are different as are their needs. Also all parents differ in some way, but that is okay. There is no "perfect way" to raise a child. Different styles may work for different family. When sharing this research with parents I think it is important to emphasize that. When it comes to mainstream concepts as snowplow or helicopter parenting the parent needs to be told about both. Using these two ways together may be effective for one child and not the other. Overall, its easy to inform parents of all the research on these topics, but it is not a easy to say which would work best for their situation.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about this topic it's very important to stress the major points. Many people would agree this is a very hot topic, and it's very important to discuss. Most parents don't want to be told anything about how they parent because it can be rude or offensive. Just like there is not a "perfect parent". Some parenting styles don't work for others like they did for them, so its important for parents to find the one that works for them and that child. Children have different needs that's why the style has to work with the child too because it involves them growing up and their development.
ReplyDeleteWhen discussing this topic with parents it's important to stress that different parenting styles work for different families, there isn't one style that every parent uses. They should know the pros and cons of the styles and if any of the styles could be combined.
In my opinion there is no one right parenting style. Every parent employs different styles of parenting modified off the four main styles: Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive, and Neglectful. While most parents probably believe that the style they use is the best, parents using the authoritative method seem to have the best results in regards to the development of their children. The authoritative method has the highest control while also having the highest acceptance making it seem like a no brainer method of parenting. However, not all children are the same which may make the sharing of data on different parenting styles and the results a potentially touchy subject. If a child isn’t like most children and they are parented using a style that works well for most children, it may not have the same result. I’ve known children raised by authoritative parents who have grown up to be rebellious because the parents while supportive but strict treated their male and female children slightly different. They were stricter with the girls. The methods of parenting that I believe should be avoided entirely are Authoritarian and Neglectful. These two parenting styles have the lowest acceptance levels of the Four. The style of parenting I would employ would be somewhere in between Authoritative and Permissive. I would allow my children to have the freedom to do what they want while still keeping a watchful eye over them. I believe that a child needs to have their own experiences and make their own mistakes. I think this allows children to learn themselves without having too much parental control. Parents should only guide children not control everything they do. Of course, this doesn’t mean letting a small child go off and explore the world on their own, but, when a child Is old enough, they should be allowed to have their own opinions and make their own mistakes. I also believe helicopter parenting and snow plow parenting can be used when the child is very young but, should be toned down dramatically once a child reaches school age.
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