Parenting Styles

 Remember some time back in the U.S , there was a huge furore over a Chinese mother's child rearing techniques. In the wake of that debate emerged fanciful terms such as helicopter mother, hothouse parent, and so on. Well, these days, next to being a teacher, if there is any other role equally difficult, it is being a parent. You cannot chide or control the ward in any way, while you alone would be considered responsible, if anything goes wrong.

So let us discuss major parenting styles which apply, rather, stick, quite well to student management as well. The first one is the neglectful. Such a parent is least concerned about the child's behaviour. Such a mom, for example, would allow the child anything and everything so long as her own mobile or kitty party or versions thereof or travel time is not curtailed!

Next comes the permissive parent. This laissez-faire personality pampers the child silly. The brat can be up to anything, can insult anyone, this type of father will give a knowing, indulgent smile as if the child has achieved some great smartness.

Next come the authoritative parents. They now belong to history books. This type was the 1940's style, or rather the "Aawara" style of parenting. None would even dare to think of it now.

In my opinion, the best style of parenting, or even of student management, is the authoritarian. Yes, there are certain rules of "this far and no further" variety. The ward knows the set boundaries ( arrived at through open and regular sharing of opinions) that must not be crossed for one's own good. There is never harsh punishment, but lots of praise and rewards for even a minor achievement. A conscientious attempt is thus made for the all-round, non-impulsive growth of the ward. Thus were my parents.

Well, there has to be some discipline as children do not drop down from the heaven as ready-made-for-the-world kind of adults. They need to be spruced up, right? Over- smartness, arrogance, vicious malicious behaviour have to be curtailed. Otherwise, such individuals would be a torture for everybody who has the misfortune of coming in to contact with them! Independence is indeed valuable. Children as they grow up must, however, be made to realise that with great independence comes great responsibility, right?

My parents brought us up thus, and I am eternally grateful to them for thus making us better individuals.

Pratima@For the first, and the last, time the blog reaches you this very late. Sorry about it! My parents most indirectly taught us both: punctuality and saying 'sorry,' if one makes a mistake!

N.B.: The mobile phone, too, needs some control, for the user as well as for the person who reads, or intercepts, messages. If you read something, like or dislike it, why not have the courage of showing that you read it? Just now, someone read this message. Well, I realised that there was a spelling error. So opened the blog again. The interceptor had made the vanishing trick! Ha, ha, ha!