The 4 Styles of Parenting: Part 2 Authoritarian

Last week, I introduced Dr. Diane Baumrind’s 4 Parenting Styles and went into more detail on the Permissive style of parenting. This week, the focus is on the Authoritarian style. 

Authoritarian parenting is characterized by high demandingness and low responsiveness. Parents who follow this style set the rules in the house and enforce them. This style is also characterized by very high expectations. Children have little to no input into how the family operates. When children break a rule or do not meet an expectation, there are harsh and immediate consequences. In these households, the parents are the center of control. 

The focus is on control and obedience and there may be some warmth but this is not the dominant feeling in the house because energy and attention is so focused on rules and expectations. 

Active Choice

Parents who actively choose authoritarian parenting want to create controlled, obedient children. They are focused on supporting their child to develop high expectations for themselves and to learn how to follow rules. 

Inadvertent Choice

Parents may inadvertently choose authoritarian parenting in reaction to their own childhood experiences. Based on their own upbringing in an authoritarian household they may inadvertently replicate what they experienced. They may also act in opposition. Some children who grow up in permissive homes want exactly the opposite of what they experienced. This may be due to difficulties they may be experiencing because they grew up with no rules or demands and want to provide their children with structure. 

Pros - Consistent & Safe

This style of parenting is focused on rule following and control. It is also very consistent. This may create a sense of safety for children because rules and consequences are very clearly defined and consistently enforced. 

Cons - Reactions to Control

Authoritarian parents can be harsh and unyielding. This may lead to anxiety and depression in children. Children brought up in authoritarian homes can also have a hard time adjusting to the freedom of life on their own. Without rules and expectations set for them, they may have a hard time setting and reaching goals.