Characteristics of Parenting Styles - Essay Example

Some people think that children may be more influenced by their peers than by their parents. Careful observation of childhood behaviour may lead one to think that peers have a very strong impact on children. Children seem to look for acceptance from their peers and tend to dress up to fit in the group at school. According to a national longitudinal study of adolescent health which surveyed more than 90,000 adolescents, much of the peer influence is positive (Smith, 2004). Studies have also revealed that peers show others how to behave or act and make opportunities in which they can put this behaviour into practice, thereby setting some standards which they tend to follow. (Smith, 2004).

I believe that peers seem to have a greater influence on children than their parents. This is true because parents are spending lesser time with their children and are more occupied with their work and social activities. Therefore children tend to spend more time with their peers rather than their parents and therefore are inclined to be influenced by them.

There are four major parenting styles (Cherry, n.d.): 1. Authoritarian parenting style is where parents expect their children to follow strict rules established by them and failure to obey them would result in punishment. 2. Authoritative parenting style is where rules are set by parents and if children fail to meet the expectations, parents discipline them. However, parents are more receptive and forgiving. 3. Permissive parenting set very few guidelines for their children and they rarely discipline them. 4. Uninvolved parenting is where parents have very few demands, low interest and minimal communication with their children. Although they provide the basic needs of the child, parents are emotionally separate from their child’s life.

I believed that the uninvolved parenting style and to a certain extent the permissive parenting style allow more influence from a child’s peers. This is because of the lack of parental involvement and discipline in the lives of children which are crucial at this stage of a child’s life.