With time comes change and this holds true for methods of parenting. Gone are the days of black and white television or the days when the telephone was connected to the wall in your home and still had a cord! Yes, remember what a telephone with a cord looks like? To even think about having a computer in your home was laughable. Look at us now!
Parenting is not lost among the changes taking place in our world. Let's take a look shall we. The majority of mammals go straight from infancy to puberty. The human baby does nothing of the sort. In fact, although they come into the world with their genetic code intact, without their parents the survival rate for humans would plummet. Looking at the evolution of species, the human baby remains far more dependent upon their parents than any other mammal.
Now for parents of pre-teens and above, the thought of having them fend for themselves at times sounds appealing. You can walk, talk, and dress yourself... see ya! Ah, but that is not how we raise our young, is it? We love and nurture them. We do our best to instill a moral compass. Here is a tantalizing thought, children become capable of reproduction between the ages of 10 - 15, but which one among us would dare say they are ready for the adulthood that awaits them?
What was the parenting style you were brought up in? Does it shape the way you parent now? What's the difference? It is commonly known that if you were brought up strict that as a parent you then lean towards a more liberal approach. The same holds true for those who were brought up with very little boundaries. Did your parents lavish you with hugs, love, and praise, or did they say token words of affection? Does the way we parent have direct consequences on our children's behavior? Very tantalizing questions. Let's look at a few different parenting styles.
PARENTING STYLES:
Indulgent: more responsive to their children than demanding. They don't hold fast to the traditional roles. The lean more towards allowing the child to self-regulate and tend to avoid confrontation with children.
Authoritarian: tend to be more obedience driven. They expect their orders to be obeyed without question.
Authoritative: have clear rules of conduct for their children. Often times are assertive without being overly restrictive. They prefer supportive methods when it comes to discipline.
Uninvolved: self-explanatory... this can lead to neglect and abuse.
Attached: in it's simplest term is to develop a strong emotional bond with parents during childhood.
I was raised in a very strict environment peppered with violence. I learned early that love and affection was earned and just as quickly taken away. How did this affect the way I parent? Dramatically! Although, I will say that through the years of being a parent my techniques have changed with the knowledge gained.
In my early years as a parent (and I will speak only to raising children and not the many complications that are included in the family unit) I did my best to lavish love. To the point of smothering? I tried not, but I definitely did all in power to let my children know that no matter what they did I would always love them.
During the time my children were young, "Attached Parenting" was not as common as it is today. I breast-fed, cuddled, and held my kids when they were crying, hurt, or anything else. I also tried letting them cry themselves to sleep but this often broke my heart. I think those emotions were directly connected to my upbringing. Enough of my parenting attempts, how has your upbringing colored your parenting skills? What do you do the same or different.
Parenting is not lost among the changes taking place in our world. Let's take a look shall we. The majority of mammals go straight from infancy to puberty. The human baby does nothing of the sort. In fact, although they come into the world with their genetic code intact, without their parents the survival rate for humans would plummet. Looking at the evolution of species, the human baby remains far more dependent upon their parents than any other mammal.
Now for parents of pre-teens and above, the thought of having them fend for themselves at times sounds appealing. You can walk, talk, and dress yourself... see ya! Ah, but that is not how we raise our young, is it? We love and nurture them. We do our best to instill a moral compass. Here is a tantalizing thought, children become capable of reproduction between the ages of 10 - 15, but which one among us would dare say they are ready for the adulthood that awaits them?
What was the parenting style you were brought up in? Does it shape the way you parent now? What's the difference? It is commonly known that if you were brought up strict that as a parent you then lean towards a more liberal approach. The same holds true for those who were brought up with very little boundaries. Did your parents lavish you with hugs, love, and praise, or did they say token words of affection? Does the way we parent have direct consequences on our children's behavior? Very tantalizing questions. Let's look at a few different parenting styles.
PARENTING STYLES:
Indulgent: more responsive to their children than demanding. They don't hold fast to the traditional roles. The lean more towards allowing the child to self-regulate and tend to avoid confrontation with children.
Authoritarian: tend to be more obedience driven. They expect their orders to be obeyed without question.
Authoritative: have clear rules of conduct for their children. Often times are assertive without being overly restrictive. They prefer supportive methods when it comes to discipline.
Uninvolved: self-explanatory... this can lead to neglect and abuse.
Attached: in it's simplest term is to develop a strong emotional bond with parents during childhood.
I was raised in a very strict environment peppered with violence. I learned early that love and affection was earned and just as quickly taken away. How did this affect the way I parent? Dramatically! Although, I will say that through the years of being a parent my techniques have changed with the knowledge gained.
In my early years as a parent (and I will speak only to raising children and not the many complications that are included in the family unit) I did my best to lavish love. To the point of smothering? I tried not, but I definitely did all in power to let my children know that no matter what they did I would always love them.
During the time my children were young, "Attached Parenting" was not as common as it is today. I breast-fed, cuddled, and held my kids when they were crying, hurt, or anything else. I also tried letting them cry themselves to sleep but this often broke my heart. I think those emotions were directly connected to my upbringing. Enough of my parenting attempts, how has your upbringing colored your parenting skills? What do you do the same or different.