The age-old debate over how parents should raise their children
has stressed many new parents out. Each year, these parents buy
parenting books and go to new-parent seminars to make sure they
are raising their children well and leading their children in
the right direction. However, according to the Lilienfeld
textbook, there are four major parenting styles. Permissive
(a.k.a "Too soft"): Permissive parents are very lenient with
their children. They allow their children to do what they want,
when they want, and rarely discipline them for their
wrongdoings. In addition, permissive parents often are extremely
affectionate with their children. Authoritarian (a.k.a "Too
hard"): Authoritarian parents tend to be very strict with their
children, giving them little room and opportunity to do what
they want. They punish their children when they don't do what
they're told, or if they are being disrespectful. In addition,
authoritarian parents show very little affection toward their
children. Authoritative (a.k.a "Just