Parental Attitudes

Introduction:

Our social environment plays a major role in our lives. It affects the way we live and behave in our surroundings. The closest of all is our parents and constitutes the main social influence a child experiences since birth. Parental attitude refers to the parents’ look towards their child. It states parents’ frame of mind and measures their involvement in a child’s life. It considers their influence on children’s choices, actions, responses, behaviour, and overall personality. Parenting attitudes vary from being supportive to suppressive. A positive outlook towards a child’s concerns can prove healthy, whereas a negative attitude leads to various adverse effects on a child’s development and growth. 

Types of Parenting:

The attitude of parents out-turn for the betterment of their children’s life. There are mainly four parenting styles based on the psychologist’s research, and each type affects a child’s behaviour differently. 

• Permissive Parenting: Permissive Parenting is more about having a friendly relationship with the children rather than feeding the notion of being strict as parents should be. There exists freedom of communication and listening ears about their kid’s decisions. In this type of parenting attitude, there are no barriers of front expectations or rules, and no specific direction is pressured to be followed. Parental attitude is more of responsiveness and less of demandingness. This type of parenting usually leads to healthy and happy child growth, sometimes at the parent’s emotional expense.

• Neglectful Parenting: The child gets little nurturance or guidance and feels avoidable with no attention. Neglectful parenting is not always intentional but sometimes because of a parent’s issues. The common trait is parents having no interest in their children’s matters, which results in low responsiveness towards the child’s concerns and low demandingness due to lack of involvement. The children who are having an experience of neglectful parenting attitude often face hard times in life matters.

• Authoritative Parenting: Authoritative parents are often involved in their child’s decisions and actions. They choose to set specific rules and expectations while adopting a supportive and problem-solving approach. The child’s viewpoints are often understood and considered by frequent communications. The children are expected to lead self-disciplined lives and make mature decisions.

• Authoritarian Parenting: The parental attitude is directed with strict rules and high demandingness. The type ensures tough decisions and one-way communication with low responsiveness. The child’s decisions and choices are not considered significant and are unreasonably neglected. The style typically goes through a long length of happy and healthy growth.

Authoritative Parenting is considered the most effective parenting style. It leads to the blooming of children as an independent, socially standable, and problem-solving approach. 

But obviously, you don’t need to rely on one approach as it is relevant to adopt a varied parenting style according to the situation’s needs. Best parents know how and when to change for the betterment of their children. Every parenting style has its pros and cons, as it is equally important to be supportive and strict in situations. 

The secondary information gathered from various parental attitude questionnaire pdfs results in parental influence towards a child’s outlook. Parents’ involvement can prove effective in uplifting the child but with the chances of turned effects in case of negative attitude.

A child’s value system is developed based on attitude and behaviour learned from parents. A child gets psychologically, emotionally, and socially influenced by parental attitudes. 

It affects the child’s mindset, which takes down the achievement capacity. The achievements are affected by already set expectations. Also, some types of parental styles don’t allow open communication, leading to forced actions that are not fruitful for anyone.

Children’s impact on Parental Attitude:

But it is also believed that children impact parental behaviour. Parents are obliged to act in a way they think is appropriate for their child’s well being. Sometimes, a conflict of interest or choices leads to variation in parental attitude. External factors influence the child, and the behaviour changes accordingly. Parents always work for the growth of their children but lack a common point of understanding. 

What attitude should parents have?

Parents should try to embrace a positive attitude towards their children. They should be responsible regarding their child’s concerns and provide a friendly, supportive environment. They can follow being low demanding and understanding their ideas and suggestions. They can fulfill their needs while being disciplined and rational. Being stern in some decisions is necessary but keeping the reasonable factors that the children can accept and understand. 

More of anything is harmful, so there is a need to maintain a balance between being dominating in matters and getting dominated by some decisions.

Taking care of these small things can help a lot. Some minor changes in parents’ behaviour can largely impact the child’s upbringing. In this way, they will feel more support and affection from their parents, which they want in their growing ages. 

Conclusion:

Parenting is a great responsibility. To promote a child’s healthy germination, many parenting aspects are required. The attitude that parents approve of plays a major role in a child’s attitude formation. The parental attitude is the most socially influencing factor for a child’s behaviour. It affects how a child deals with a situation and the outcomes of the actions. It influences the real reflexes as well as the involuntary reactions.

In some cases, the parenting attitude is affected by the children’s behaviour, making unintentional decisions. Bridging the gap between the two different mindsets is significant for growth. Parents also try to change their sight and be more supportive while being rational.