Trans-culture in Nursing Essay

Explain parenting styles in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of each type. Discuss how culture could influence parenting styles.

Parenting styles are reflective of the behaviors that children manifest in family interactions. In regards to the style that parents practice, children’s behavior provides images of the interactions in which family activities occur. By definition, parenting is the process of supporting and promoting the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual development of a child from infancy as they transition into adulthood. Parenting encompasses the intricacies of child-rearing and not a biological relationship between the parent and the child. Parents often influence the behavior of their children through specific actions. However, parenting goes beyond specific actions to encompass the overall approach that parents assume to guide, socialize, and interact with their children. Parenting involves the attitudes that parents conceive about their children and their effects on their children’s development. It is this general pattern or the emotional climate that is referred to as the parenting style. This paper explains the different parenting styles in terms of their strengths and weaknesses and discusses culture’s influence on parenting styles. Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

According to research, there is a positive link between parenting styles and the behavior of children (Bi et al., 2018). Notably, children carry these behaviors into adulthood. The differentiation of one parenting style from the other was first coined in the 1960s by Dian Baumrind. She noted that the core idea of parental control, the perception of adults being figures of authority in the home, had gone disrepute. This was attributed to the view that parents equated control with harsh punishment, domination, and manipulative behavior. Most parents started adopting the opposite approach to avoid the perils associated with authoritarianism. They started placing fewer demands on their children and avoiding instances of parental control. According to Baumrind, these parents’ choices fell between two extremities; compromising or utilizing a moderate approach that promoted independence, self-discipline, and responsibility. Baumrind, therefore, recommended three styles of parenting. These were authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, and permissive parenting. Later, researchers added uninvolved parenting as the fourth parenting style. Besides adding a new category into Baumrind’s original parenting styles, the researchers also redefined the concepts of responsiveness and demandingness, which form the foundation of parenting styles. Responsiveness was defined as the degree to which parents purposely foster self-regulation, self-assertion, and individuality by being supportive, attuned, and acquiescent to their children’s demands and needs. The researchers defined demandingness as the claims which parents make on children to be integrated into the entire family, through supervision, disciplinarian efforts, supervision, and the capacity to confront children who ago against the set rules. Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

Authoritarian Parenting

Authoritarian is a parenting approach where children are expected to adhere to strict guidelines from parents. Notably, failure to adhere to these rules often result in punishment. Parents using this approach do not explain the rationale behind the parenting style (Bi et al., 2018).  Instead, they expect children to follow these rules to the latter. The authoritarian parenting style emphasizes obedience, strict discipline, and control of children through punishment, which may involve withdrawal of parental affection. While authoritarian parents place incredibly high demands on their children, they are not very responsive to their needs and desires. They anticipate perfect behavior from their children and leave no room for errors despite providing little direction and guidance. Research suggests that parents using the authoritarian approach are usually obedience and status-oriented and believe that their children should obey their orders without any form of explanation. An example of authoritarian parenting is placing screen time for children or a must eat before going to school. Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

Strengths

There are several pros of an authoritarian parenting style. First, it fosters good behavior in children. Children have a clear understanding of what their parents expect for them and are aware that certain behaviors elucidate punishment. Second, the authoritarian leadership style places a significant emphasis on safety, both psychological and physical. This minimizes the risk of children engaging in risky behaviors. Third, this parenting approach is goal-driven. Children with authoritative parents follow detailed plans with accurate instructions. Using such a structure, children comprehend the steps required to achieve a specific goal.

Weaknesses

Authoritarian parenting styles are not devoid of weaknesses. Previous research has shown that this leadership style is positively linked to anxiety and depression among children. A fundamental flaw of this parentingstyle is rule-dependent. It is founded on the implementation of specific rules that children must follow to avoid punishment. When confronted with scenarios lacking established guidelines, children often confused and unsure of how to behave (Kuppens & Ceulemans, 2018).Also, authoritarian parenting reduces self-esteem in children as emphasizing cause and consequence bars the child’s natural capacity to make feasible choices, an aspect which may directly impact their self –esteem. Children who depend on their parents to instill confidence often struggle with life choices. Rebellion is another weakness of authoritarian parenting. As children grow, they become consistently tired of their parent’s rules. They, therefore, always rebel to test the parents’ limits. Also, parents raised by authoritarian parents are often emotionally withdrawn, and they tend to be unable to express their emotions effectively. Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

Authoritative Parenting

Parents using an authoritative style establish a set of rules and guidelines that they expect their children to follow, as authoritarian parents. However, these two parenting styles differ as authoritative parenting tends to be more democratic. Here, parents are highly responsive to their children and are willing to address their issues and concerns. The approach used by authoritative parents is more balanced. While parents expect their children to adhere to specific rules, they also encourage children to develop some form of independence. Parents using this style provide support, warmth, and feedback to their children. They observe the behavior of their children and impart desirable standards of conduct. While these parents are highly assertive, they are not restrictive or intrusive, and their disciplinary methods are supportive, not punitive. Taran et al. (2015) assert that children with authoritative parents are the best behaved. The integration of expectation and support in this parenting style fosters self-control, autonomy, and self-regulation. Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

Strengths

There are numerous strengths of an authoritative parenting approach. First, this style fosters responsibility and accountability in children. As a result, they are less likely to cave into peer pressure. Second, children respect parents demonstrating authoritative leadership. Third, children brought up by authoritative parents are more resilient as they learn from their mistakes. In turn, they cultivate resilience, the capacity to bounce back from stressful situations, confidence, and self-esteem. Fourth, children with authoritative parents can make their own decisions and, therefore, savvy towards leadership roles. Fifth, children with authoritative parents are studious as parents provide the tools required for children to succeed in academics.

Weaknesses

While the authoritative parenting style is the most celebrated globally, it also has drawbacks. The technique can be challenging and lengthy to implement as it requires a strict balance of discipline and freedom. The approach also involves resilience from parents.Trans-culture in Nursing Essay Paper

Permissive Parenting

Also known as indulging parenting, it is an approach where parents place minimal demands on their children. They have low expectations of their children’s self-control and maturity and therefore have meager expectations. Emotional warmth and the reluctance of parents to enforce rules are critical features of permissive parenting. Permissive parents are known to be more responsive than demanding, generally nurturing, and tend to become the child’s friend more than a parent.

Strengths

First, it provides self- assurance to children and encourages them to try new things (Hosokawa & Katsura, 2018).  Second, it grants children more freedom and motivates them to explore new adventures with a sense of confidence. Third, it inspires creativity by allowing children to experiment with passions and hobbies.

Weaknesses

Despite the benefits, this parenting style also has drawbacks. It increases the chances of children to engage in risky behaviors as there are no precise boundaries. Permissive parenting also fosters behavior inhibition among children, which can lead to withdrawal and depression. Another disadvantage is that permissive leadership cultivates rebellious behavior as can apply their parent’s leadership styles outside the home settings.