Parenting
Parenting is the continuous process of raising a child from infancy to adulthood through the different levels of development that require physical, emotional, and social support to ensure the safety and health of the young one. In parenting, the caregiver can be a father, mother, or a pair of parents that may or may not be biologically related to the child. Parenting is not only a human act, as animals perform parenting roles too in order to teach and ensure the continuity of knowledge and training for future generations.
Different cultures encourage different parenting styles, but the authoritative parenting style is the most encouraged by American society. Parents using the authoritative style give reasonable demands and consistent limits, show warmth and affection, and listen to the child’s point of view. Children raised by authoritative parents tend to have high self-esteem and social skills.
Each adolescent and parent is different so there is no right parenting style, but adolescents typically benefit the most from the authoritative style of parenting. This parenting style allows teens to feel heard as they are given a voice in decision-making, but also teaches them the consequences of their actions. This will develop problem-solving skills that will help them later in life.
Helicopter parenting refers to a parenting style of parents who are overly focused on their children. Helicopter parents tend to take too much responsibility for their children’s successes or failures. Helicopter parenting can also be defined as over-parenting, over-controlling, and over-protecting. Helicopter parents may hover due to fear, anxiety, overcompensation, as well as peer pressure from other parents.
