Research has investigated the link between different parenting styles and various life outcomes. How does each parenting style affect the potential for addiction?
Authoritative
Authoritative parents have high expectations for their children. However, they will often explain their reasoning for having those expectations. While holding this level of accountability, the parents also provide the child with a nurturing environment. The combination of discipline and comfort can help the child become a successful and responsible adult.
When punishments are in place with authoritative parenting, the focus is not on making the child feel negative about themselves or about inconveniencing their caregivers, but on teaching them the wrong in their actions. The goal of punishments in this style of parenting is to help the child learn from their mistakes and make better decisions in the future. Overall, this parenting style has the best outcomes for children as they grow up and become adults, but it can take a great deal of patience to practice.
This parenting style often will not lead to addiction if it is used throughout the child’s life. Allowing children to learn from mistakes that they and others have made and understand the potential consequences that can come into play in the future often prevents them from abusing substances. The trust and healthy regard for their caregivers that this parenting style encourages in children is another potential deterrent to addiction.
Uninvolved
Uninvolved parents tend to live a life of their own and be emotionally separated from their children. This parenting style is similar to the permissive parenting style, but it lacks the aspects of nurture and cares for the child. This does not mean that the parents that fall into this category do not care about their child, but they may struggle to show support in ways that are emotionally meaningful to the child.
While the children of uninvolved parents tend to feel a lack of emotional support, they often develop a high level of independence. These traits of independence can be very beneficial, but a child raised solely in this form of parenting style may not develop proper emotional regulation skills and may struggle with trust issues.
Being raised in an environment with uninvolved parenting can encourage the use of drugs because they do not have enough influence from their parents to not try substances; the encouragement not to is missing. These kids may only hear information in school or community presentations, but not hear the information from the parents themselves. If a child never hears anything negative about drug use and their parents don’t seem concerned about the consideration of use, it can be extremely easy to overlook the potential consequences that can occur. Additionally, uninvolved parents may not realize their child is spending time in an unhealthy social circle with peers who encourage substance abuse and other dangerous behavior.
Permissive
Permissive parents often shower their children with care and affection. There are rarely high expectations or disciplinary actions in place for negative behaviors. This form of parenting style is often thought of as nurturing and open. Children can typically open up to their parents and be honest with them regarding their current situations. While these parents may be amazing listeners, they tend to leave the child responsible for solving their own problems. The parent is there as a supportive factor.
With a lack of overall expectations and regulations, the child is allowed to create their own rules. For some children, this can lead to a high level of independence, but for others, it often leads to the development of bad habits and poor impulse control in external situations. Many children need guidance to learn how to manage their everyday habits and social interactions so that they can achieve future success.
The permissive parenting style, especially when done by one parent in a single-parent household, has been associated with an increased likelihood of children engaging in substance use and developing addictions.
Authoritarian
This style of parenting often involves a set of rules and expectations for the child to follow. These expectations are often not up for discussion or negotiation. Children who grow up in a household overpowered by this form of parenting style often struggle to live up to these expectations. While this can put a great deal of pressure on the child, kids raised in this environment often are well-behaved for fear of the consequences in place for negative behavior.
Authoritarian parenting can lead a child to have high expectations for themselves and be goal-oriented individuals. It is common for children to lack some social skills when they are focused on living up to these expectations. Many of these children have a strong focus on academics. Although some of these traits can be admired, they can leave the child with a negative self-image. There is also a high potential for the child to fall into a state of rebellion if the authoritarian style is not balanced with other parenting styles.
Children raised with authoritarian parenting are more susceptible to addiction because of the increased likelihood of rebellion. After years of obeying the rules, children of authoritarian parents often decide they have had enough and act out in extreme rebellion to make a point. This rebellious phase could include substance abuse, leading to long-term addiction.
Which Style Is Best?
Observing the four main parenting styles, you can see that some tend to have greater benefits on the child’s long-term success than others. Authoritative parenting is often considered to be the most beneficial; however, it is not guaranteed to work perfectly. Having a mix of parenting styles can also be beneficial within a household to bring the best out in each.
Reviewing the four types of parenting styles, you can observe how your parenting may affect the potential of substance abuse and addiction in your child’s future. Authoritative, uninvolved, permissive, and authoritarian parenting styles each have unique aspects that influence children’s behavior. Understanding which parenting style you naturally follow and working to incorporate aspects of other styles to help push your child towards success can make a great difference for both of you. No parenting style is wrong, and each may have different effects on different children. However, authoritative parenting often decreases the chance of child-abusing substances in the future. Being mindful of the potential impact each parenting style can have on your children can help you to become the best parent in your own way. To learn more about the different parenting styles and their effects on addiction, contact Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.