The teenage years are some of the most difficult for anyone to go through. If you can remember back to the time whenever you were a teenager, you no doubt remember some situations that you came into which were also very difficult for you to handle. This can not only be difficult on the teenager, it can also be difficult on their parents in order for them to understand how to breach the generation gap that may exist. Here are some teenager parenting tips that you can use as a guideline for dealing with these difficult years in your child.

One of the most important things for you to understand is that, even though your teenager may be growing up to a certain extent they still need to follow some certain guidelines. What you need to do is to establish those guidelines for the individual and the not to follow some specific set of rules that are laid out by somebody that does not know your child. If you treat your teenager as an individual then they will be more apt to develop as an individual.

All teenagers are faced with certain expectations that come their way by their peers. This not only includes peer pressure to do such things as drugs or drinking, it also includes the way in which they dress or the body image that they may be expected to maintain. Not everybody is going to have the perfect body and it may be very difficult for a teenager to understand this, especially if they have a difficulty with things such as their weight or perhaps acne. Try to help your teenager to develop a healthy view of their own body and to be comfortable with who they are as an individual.

You should also make sure that you are informed and able to distinguish the warning signs of drinking or drug use. None of us expect our child to get involved with these sorts of things but they are living in a world that is full of pressures that may lead them in this direction. By knowing the early warning signs, you will be in a better position to communicate with your child if you recognize them taking place. Although it will not be the most popular theme of conversation, it is an important one for you to discuss with them, both in advance and if you should happen to recognize any problems coming your way.

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Whenever we are together as a married couple, we never expect it to end in the two of us splitting up. This can be especially difficult if there are children involved. Single parents are becoming more and more the norm in our society and even though many people only really think about the single mothers, thinking about the single parent father is also very important. If you find yourself in a situation where you are raising a child as a father on your own, there are some things that you can do to help you along the way. These can be especially helpful if you feel that you are ill equipped to take on the responsibility but want to do the best job that you possibly can.

One thing that you are going to have to deal with whenever you are the single parent father is discipline to one degree or another. If the mother is still taking an active role in the child’s life, you will certainly want to discuss with her the roles that each of you are going to play in the disciplining of your child. Even though you and the child’s mother may be living separately, you should still be unified in the way that you discipline your child and the things that you expect from them as an individual. This will not only keep them from playing the two of you against each other but it will also help them to develop into healthy adults.

You are also going to need to know how to communicate with your child effectively. Although this can be relatively easy whenever the child is young, the scars that are left from a broken home can interfere with their ability to communicate freely with you. They may feel as if they are being unfaithful to their mother if they discuss things of a personal nature with you. Although it would be inappropriate of you to ask them for information that you could use between you and their mother, it is certainly appropriate for you to communicate with them to find out what they need. Don’t hold back information from them although you should stop short of giving any personal details that do not belong to them. If you allow them to know that the situation you are dealing with is special, they may be more apt to help you to overcome some of the rough spots.

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The teenage years can be some of the most difficult that an individual can experience. Not only is it difficult for the person that is going through these years themselves, it can also be difficult on the parent of a teenage child. Many people that were close to their child all throughout their lifetime suddenly find themselves in a position where they and their teenager are growing apart in many different ways. If you want to have a close bond between you and your teen, here is how to create one. It may take a little bit of work to get things going and to maintain, but it will be well worth it in the end.

One thing that both you and your teenager need to understand is that the generation gap does not really exist. Many of the things that your teenager is experiencing are the same things that you experienced whenever you were their age. Although some of the details and faces may have changed during that time, we all have the same anxieties that we experience whenever we are entering into adulthood through the eyes of a teenager. If both of you realize that you’re not so different, it will make the entire process of securing a close bond with your child much easier.

Communication during this time is very vital and hopefully, you have been building a relationship based on communication with your child, even before they entered their teenage years. Even if you haven’t done this, however, it is still possible to get to know your teenager and to communicate with them effectively. Don’t try to be too much like them as far as how you speak and act, allow them to have their individuality in this regard. By talking with them on both serious and everyday matters, however, you will be building a relationship with them that you will be able to rely on throughout their lifetime.

One final thing that you can do is to allow them to develop as individuals. Don’t try to mold them into your idea of what the perfect teenager should be. That doesn’t mean, however, that they should be totally without guidelines but as long as they maintain their position in the family arrangement, they should be able to express themselves as the individuals that they are. If you allow them to do this, you will be gaining their respect to a certain degree and helping to forge a bond between the two of you as well.

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Over the years, there have been a lot of different ways that have come in to light on how to raise your children. These range from extreme in the disciplinary part of raising our child to the extreme in allowing your child to determine their own course. One of the most famous of these is that which was written by Dr. Spock. According to his theories, you should not punish your child but that you should allow them to basically do anything they want. This did nothing but produce a generation of children that are now suffering the consequences of having no general parental direction.

One is the most effective types of parenting that has ever been done, however, is now typically known as authoritative parenting. Although it takes more work than many other types of parenting, this particular method will help you to be able to raise well-rounded children that are balanced in many areas of their life. In order to do this, however, you are going to have to be tough on yourself as well. Here is a basic overview of authoritative parenting and a word of advice.

Authoritative parenting is not as harsh as what it sounds. It does have to do with developing a very close relationship with your child and holding out some specific rules and guidelines that your child will be expected to follow throughout their life. You are going to need to balance your family life along with these expectations in order to make sure that you are not either being overly lenient or overly demanding with your child for their particular stage of development. It also has a lot to do with getting to know your child as an individual and knowing what their limitations are so that you can adjust these guidelines according to their personality and individual level of development.

Contrary to the way that many people feel, setting out guidelines for your children is not going to harm their development in any way. All throughout our life, we have guidelines that are set out for us. This includes guidelines that are established at our workplace and the way that we are expected to act within our personal relationships. Being an authoritative parent and setting out reasonable guidelines for your children will not harm their development, it will enhance it to the benefit of both you and your children.

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Two and a half hours in a church hall on a Saturday afternoon. Thirty yellow balloons hovering just above the ground. Twenty-eight second grade girls. Eight large pizzas. Seven two-liter bottles of soda. A huge vegetable tray. One full sheet cake. One karaoke machine. Three microphones. And, the soundtrack to High School Musical 2 playing…over and over and over again.

I did a lot of counting today – and not just the numbers of balloons or bottles of soda at my daughter’s 8th birthday party. I counted all the birthday parties I’ve hosted for my four children since I became a mother. The sum total took me aback: last weekend’s birthday celebration was party number thirty-two. 32!

I searched my mind to recall their themes.

There were at-home parties featuring unicorns, Star Wars characters, pirates (twice), firefighters, Harry Potter, kittens, astronauts, butterflies, Dora the Explorer, horses, Legos, marine life, and Rescue Heroes.

My sons have celebrated their birthdays at bowling alleys, at a minor league baseball game, and at laser tag facilities. One of my daughters had a wonderfully messy and creative party at our community center’s pottery studio. We’ve had a luau, ballet parties, and a big backyard rainforest party with sprinklers and plastic wading pools.

We’ve had store-bought sheet cakes and ornate home-made ones. (You should have seen the pirate ship I made, complete with root beer barrels, malted milk ball cannonballs, and little plastic pirates climbing the wooden dowel masts.) I’ve scoured the Internet for the right spun sugar toppers for cupcakes. I’ve made treasure hunts and modified “Simon Says” in countless ways to fit the day’s theme.

Can you tell? I love it!

Gary Chapman is the author of the “Love Languages” series of books. He states that there are five primary ways that people “speak and understand emotional love.” These are: “physical touch, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and words of affirmation.” Chapman writes that everyone communicates love in one of these ways.

Maybe he could add a sixth one: “giving birthday parties!”

With a busy family life, for me creating my kids’ birthday parties every year is a tangible way to show each of them that I appreciate them as individuals. The child whose birthday is approaching is singled out. We pore over birthday party websites and circle ideas we like in catalogs. We discuss guest lists at length. At those times, I often learn new things about my child’s current batch of classmates and the specific reasons why my child most values each friend. We bake, address invitations, and assemble goody bags together. We decorate for the party – often creating homemade decorations to supplement whatever we’ve bought.

I know parents who make other choices – parents, perhaps, whose love language isn’t “giving birthday parties.” I have friends who allow their children a party every second or third year. They have dinner at a favorite restaurant or go on a special outing to celebrate on the “off” years. Some children don’t enjoy big parties, so instead they invite one or two friends over to watch a movie or spend the night. I admire parents who limit the number of guests their children can invite to the age that child is turning on her next birthday. All of these are sensible ideas and ones I can recommend whole-heartedly.

But…I have to admit – I don’t follow them myself.

The parties I give my children aren’t lavish. For my daughter’s recent High School Musical party, the karaoke machine and microphones were borrowed from a friend. The pizzas were inexpensive and the cake was $15 from a warehouse club. The girls spent most of the party dancing around the room. There was no magician and no pony rides. It was just a very large group of girls dancing and singing.

The most excessive choice I’ve made because of my “birthday party language of love” happened a few years ago. My younger son was turning eight and had just finished a difficult school year. Among other things, a new boy was bullying him and a few of his friends. My son and his friends struggled for months to try to figure out what to do about the problem, not wanting to be “tattle-tales.”

Finally my son told his teacher about the bullying. The school acted swiftly to end the bad situation. The principal met with my son and the boy in question. The principal then met with my son’s whole class to talk about the importance of telling adults when you are being hurt. All the attention - even though it ultimately solved the problem - embarrassed my son. His birthday was the day after school ended for the year.

The day before the party, I surveyed our plans. I was glad to see that all of his friends could attend. We had materials to transform the backyard swing set into a pirate ship. All the boys would receive eye patches and bandanas. The aforementioned pirate ship cake looked magnificent.

But, I thought to myself, how can I make this even better? On a whim, I drove to our local appliance rental shop. There were large, blow-up “moon jumps” for rent, but these were too expensive and weren’t theme-appropriate. I walked past hefty power tools and gardening instruments, but couldn’t find inspiration.

But, then, I saw it: a cotton candy machine! For about $100, it could be mine the next afternoon and I could have all the blue candy sugar I wanted.

The back yard was a delightful sight the day of the party. There were about 20 young pirates wearing eye patches, gold hoop earrings, and drawn-on scars. They pantomimed sword fights with their inflatable swords. They swung off the sides of the huge pirate ship and held sticky cones of cotton candy. My son was beaming. It was great to see him smiling again.

So, I’ve been a Mom for 11 years and, so far, have hosted 32 birthday parties for my children. Next month will be party number 33. My soon-to-be six year old is already drawing up her guest list.

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As parents, we all hope that our children will be sensitive and loving, but with a skin tough enough to handle problems.  We also want our children to feel great about themselves and who they are.  Self-esteem is an important thing to nurture in a child and is a combination of a child feeling loved and being confident in his or her own abilities.  Much of this feeling is molded, instilled and inspired by a child’s parents.  Child expert Sue Davidson says that nurturing and improving your child’s self-esteem is something that will stick with them for life.  The development of their self-esteem is important and is something they will base many different things on throughout their lives.

“When children feel that their parents love and believe in them, the child will love and believe in himself or herself.  When a child feels as though a parent doubts his or her capability, that child will also doubt their capability.  This is something that is important for parents to recognize and pay attention to,” says Sue.  So, with something that is this important, how do you ensure that you’re doing it right?  The first thing you should realize is that while it is important, there is no reason to feel as if you’re walking on eggshells.  Simply take opportunities given to you and use them to work on self-esteem.  Sue offers some valuable tips on how to improve your child’s self-esteem.

Unrealistic Expectations

Don’t place unrealistic expectations on your child.  When you do this, he or she will most likely fail to live up to those expectations.  This will make him or her doubt their ability.  This can be a real issue with self-esteem.  Expect your child to do his or her best, and that’s it.  Instill in them the wisdom that winning or losing is not as important as having fun trying and trying your best.  Anything over that is just extra.  Of course, should your child win, you want to praise them and show how proud you are.  If they lose, you want to praise them and show how proud you are!  One important thing you can say to your child is, “Now you can be really proud of yourself.”  What this tells your child is that you are very proud of them and that how they feel about their performance in any situation is what is most important.

Pointing Out What is Unique

One important thing that helps improve self-esteem is the knowledge that there are special and unique characteristics in each one of us.  Teaching your child this important wisdom is as easy as pointing out their own unique abilities and talents.  Take the time to do this when there is a great opportunity.  When you notice the things your child is great at or is especially talented at, they will notice them, too.  When your child understands that he or she has special talents or is particularly great in one aspect or another, their self-esteem grows.  So, tell your child what a great job he or she did in different situations.

Role Modeling

Much of what you do and how you feel about yourself will be transferred to your children.  If you make statements often about how stupid or inadequate you are, your child will absorb that attitude and feeling.  They will then recreate those feelings in the way they feel about themselves.  This is something you don’t want.  When a child sees a parent with a high regard for themselves, these children are more likely to develop a great self-confidence.  As James A. Baldwin said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”  Show your child how you value him or her and how you value yourself.  This will most definitely carry over.

Your child’s self-esteem is important, and you are the greatest person to help develop the self-esteem within your child.  By simply being confident about your child’s abilities and loving your child (which is a given), you can foster a great self-esteem from childhood to adulthood.

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3 Tips on How to Multitask Effectively:

1. Don’t stress out. You can get things done quicker and more efficient with a clear head.
2. Map out all the locations of where you need to be and draw out a schedule. You will be able to tackle several tasks at once while being in the same location. It’ll save you a lot of time driving back and forth between tasks.
3. Keep a to-do list with you so you can check them off as you go. This way, you won’t have to wonder if you’ve completed a specific task or not.

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Sometimes work schedules stretch mothers and fathers to the breaking point with little time left for the people who matter most: children. Thankfully, spending time with family is more than ticking away the hours of a dull day; it is about quality interaction between parents and children. Even though it may seem like the twenty-four hour day needs to be lengthened, it actually provides plenty of time to accomplish the most important mission of all—time with family.

Schedules, including work, travel, and possibly continued education, often seem like the enemy. They appear to rob parents of valuable time with children during their formative years. This seemingly dark cloud does have a silver lining, however. Work provides valuable resources for the family in terms of food, shelter, health insurance, and savings. Additional education enriches the parents’ lives, broadens their horizons, and can lead to more rewarding careers. Beyond the obvious, these necessary activities outside parenting provide parents with a very important reminder: Time is precious.

In parenting, as in life, it is vital to remember the value of your time varies by how you spend it. If a parent spends all day at home watching television, obviously the child is not benefiting from their presence. On the other hand, if a parent spends just fifteen minutes devoted to interaction with their child, that parent will have done wonders for their little one. Quality, not necessarily quantity, is the main feature of a healthy parent-child relationship.

Presence is more than a physical state. Love and care are involved in the selection of childcare, clothing, and feeding children. Every aspect of a child’s world exists because of the efforts put forth by the parent or caregiver. The parent sustains the life of the child. This vital role does not evaporate when the parent dons business attire and continues on their morning commute after dropping their child off at school.

Children whose parents work are not always suffering souls. Involvement in extracurricular activities and preschool as a result of parental work schedules often benefit the child. High quality, loving daycare and preschool settings enrich children’s lives and provide a solid foundation for the future. In fact, in a 1996 study entitled The Five to Seven Year Shift: The Age of Reason and Responsibility researchers found, “Children with extensive preschool experience tend to adjust to kindergarten more easily than those who spent little or no time in preschool. Children who start kindergarten with peers they know and like generally do better.”

Part of being there for a child is letting that child know they are in your thoughts; it is a matter of doing little things that show you care. Small remembrances like sending a note in your child’s lunch or bringing them a healthy snack or something to drink when picking them up at the end of a long day at school or preschool are a token of affection your young child will treasure. Older children may also appreciate hearing a retelling of a joke heard by the parent during the day, the chance to engage in a conversation about their school day, or a discussion of plans around the table in the evening. In all cases, showing that a child’s feelings matter and they are remembered even in their absence is an important part of family bonding. These small acts do not require vast amounts of time; they only require small continual acknowledgements by the parent.

In an effort to build a strong bond and fond memories, set routines can be a benefit to hurried, harried parents.  The morning rush out the door can become more pleasant through planning. For younger children, getting an early start each day, with a morning book reading as the child is waking, sets a nice tone for the day and makes waking up less of a chore.  Reading to children, for as little as five to fifteen minutes each day, at a young age provides children valuable skills for the future.  According to Gabrielle Simcock, author of a recent study related to children and reading published by the American Psychological Association, “…research shows that very young children can learn to perform novel actions with novel objects from a brief picture-book reading interaction. This common form of interaction that takes place very early in children’s lives, may provide an important source of information to them about the world around them.”

All the way out the door and up the steps to school, through reinforcing and comforting routines, parents can work to create bonds that will set the stage for strong family ties.  For example, children love to play games in the car. Younger children can enjoy play games of I-Spy and variations of the License Plate Game to pass the time on the way to class. Encouraging words from the parent as the drive goes along can help the child learn about the world and experience the affection of the parent.

Later in the day, routines can be a blessing as well, dinner at the table—even if it is a fast food meal picked up on the way home—can provide quality family time. Discussing the day’s events before dispersing for homework, housework, or bed gives families the opportunity to check in with each other and show that they care. Reading a book at night, before tucking the child into bed is a tried and true parenting routine beloved by generations of children. Time conscious parents will be happy to note that story books listing the average length of the story in minutes can be found in the children’s section of the bookstore. Some titles with this handy device include: Disney’s 5 Minute Bedtime Stories by Catherine Hapka, A Treasury of Bedtime Stories by Linda Yeatman, and Three Minute Tales: Stories to Tell When Time Is Short by Margaret Read MacDonald.

On the weekend, when more time is available, scheduling a regular family game time every other weekend–as an important meeting–gives everyone something to look forward to on the day off. Finding and collecting board games can be fun for the whole family and offer a variety of entertainment that transcends the focus on gadgets, gizmos, and time in front of the television or computer screen common in this modern life. Parents can try such classics as Clue,  Sorry, Monopoly, or branch out into new realms with the family board game with such emerging classics as Khet: The Laser Game—a blend of checkers and chess that involves laser light—or Cadoo: Family Fun—an inventive game which, as the name suggests, is fun for the whole family.

There are many ways to play an active role in family life, but parents do not need an extra hours in the day to do it. All it takes is a kind word here and there, a brief remembrance, or fifteen minutes to an hour set aside in time pockets throughout the week. Children are adaptable and appreciate the time that parents give them. The only requirement is that the parent demonstrates they care and are tuned in to their child through positive interaction.  Parents should also remember that quality time and parenting in general are not about perfection but about persistence.

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Everyone new mother at the sandbox wants to know: when is little Junior going to join MENSA and win the Nobel Peace Prize? During the first year each step, burble, burp, and grin is proof—at least to dear old Mom and Dad—of little junior’s pint sized prowess. And often, perhaps too often, this natural exuberance of new parents turns into a frustrating game of one-up-man-ship. Unfortunately, it can lead to further isolation for new moms or simply some hurt feelings for those whose children’s development is taking a slightly different path. Milestones are certainly important, relevant to understanding children’s needs. However, it is important to keep a clear perspective.

Milestones are a means of evaluating the needs of a child and their developmental progress. Many factors are involved in determining when children will experience certain milestones including each child’s unique heredity and environment. According to the authors of Human Development, 9th Edition, milestones are, “landmarks of development: average ages for the occurrence of certain events, such as the first word, the first step…But these are merely averages.”

Individual children vary within the averages given by milestones. Some children reach certain milestones quickly and others more slowly. One child can reach certain milestones more quickly—such as early walking—then lag behind in some other area—such as late talking. Professionals, such as doctors and child psychologists use milestones as a means of gaining a general sense of understanding about development.

For example, most studies indicate that the majority of children will be able to run by two years of age. If a child is not able to run by the age of two and a half, this may indicate a need for a closer look at the child’s health by a trained professional. In this way, having a general understanding of when a child should develop certain abilities helps the medical profession successfully treat children so that each child can look forward to a healthy future.

This useful tool can also help parents plan ahead. Lists of milestones and when to expect them also give parents, especially new ones, a preview of what lies ahead. This can help parents meet the needs of their children as they progress. For instance, parents with stairs may want to install a baby gate in advance of their child crawling or walking. Looking at the milestone chart can help such parents make sure the necessary gates are installed well in advance of their baby making a beeline for the stairs.

As a guideline, milestone charts also suggest appropriate activities for infants and children. If a child is able to sit or crawl, they will enjoy a trip to a soft play center, conversely, if a child is able to run and jump, they may be able to appreciate a child-centered amusement park. Children able to hold their head up, and sit might also be ready for a foray into the world of solid foods. In this way, parents can plan for the future, to make healthy and fun choices for their children.

Milestones have limitations, however. They are not a crystal ball. Every parent, no doubt, wishes they could see far into the future and predict the future success of their offspring. It is fun to envision Junior climbing every mountain and becoming a Nobel Laureate, but childhood milestones do not necessarily mean that Junior will be a captain of industry.

In fact, perhaps one of the surest ways to hinder a child’s rise to success is to expect too much, too soon. Attempting to force children to develop skills before it is developmentally appropriate for the individual child sets up a situation in which both parent and child may experience frustration and feelings of inadequacy. The attitude of keeping in step with the Jones’ next door is not healthy for the parent-child relationship. It is better to let the child progress at the pace he or she needs to progress—as long as the progression falls within the normal range, there is little reason to be alarmed. It is more important to enjoy each child for who they are, rather than who the parent hopes they will become at a later date.

Gifted is the term often used to describe intelligent children. However, identifying children who are truly gifted is a unique challenge. Skills are not always evenly mastered throughout childhood. Children can go in spurts, focusing on the mastery of one skill while leaving others on the backburner until later.

It is important to remember that children are not automatons; they have varied interests and abilities. Each child is as distinctive as a snowflake in winter. So, while little Suzie down the street may be the champion of the school chess team today, tomorrow she may make an excellent cheerleader as her motor skills and interests change and develop.

Generally speaking, giftedness is a matter of viewing the bigger picture. Gifted children tend to be multitalented and master a variety of skills ahead of their peers. It is important to note, though, that gifted children, while very lucky in many respects, do not always become champions of the world and may often wind up no more successful than other moderately gifted peers. According to a 1985 study of talented artists, musicians, and brain surgeons by Benjamin Bloom, many of the aforesaid geniuses initially appeared no more exceptional than siblings or peers. The main difference was their drive, interest, and perseverance. Another important factor , according to the study, was encouragement by a parent, teacher, or other important adult in the individual’s life.

Slower development is not necessarily an example of inability, and many children afflicted with autism spectrum disorders are actually quite gifted in certain areas. Having a developmental delay is a matter of being differently-abled, or needing specialized attention, rather than being disabled. Love, encouragement, and good professional or home care can help children who are slow to develop or experiencing difficulty overcome obstacles with flying colors.

One famous example of a child who failed to meet certain milestones on time was Einstein. This interesting anomaly is examined more closely in the book The Einstein Syndrome by Thomas Sowell. The book mentions Einstein as well as many other famous individuals, known for their brilliance and talent, who were late in the area of speech.

In any case, whether a child is delayed, average, or ahead of schedule, milestones provide a glimpse of human development. They are not intended to pigeon-hole the child or the parent and can actually assist the child’s caregivers when used appropriately. While not all points related to giftedness, delays, or the definition of normal are certain one point stands out amongst all of the research: Children need love, attention, and encouragement. Any caregiver interested in seeing their child succeed should focus on the wonderfully unique individual (or individuals) in their care and support their individual development through love and support. And with regard to keeping up with the Jones’, be happy for them, but feel secure in the knowledge that every child has vast potential in life—even if he or she is not a card carrying member of MENSA by the age of two.

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Do you often spank your children when they misbehave? Or do you give them a candy bar so that they can stop bullying your neighbor’s son? Perhaps you give your children choices and they get to choose what they want to do.

A question that was raised when our first son was born is what kind of parents do we want to be? Let our kids run free or hover over our children so that they become what we want them to be. Most of our parenting practices use how we were raised as kids as a baseline and then certain aspects of it are modified to how we want to run our own household. The way you run your household, however, typically falls into one of these three parenting “styles.”

Parenting Styles Defined

1. The Indulgent (Permissive/Non Directive) Parent: These types of parents are “easy” on their kids and allow their kids much freedom to act, speak, and do as they wish. They fear that their kids will “not like them” if they are more restrictive or set rules. Children in these types of environments tend to be controlling, can be more on the irresponsible side when they are older and learn ways to please their parents in order to get what they want.
2. The Authoritarian Parent: These are the types of parents who need to be in control of their kids. When your child asks a question, your answer is “Because I said so.” And that’s final. Authoritarian parents usually focus on their children’s misbehaviors (rather than their achievements) and punishment for such misbehaviors are often not pleasant. Children in these environments tend to have little freedom, lower self esteem, and subservient.
3. The Authorative (Democratic) Parent: These types of parents try to treat their children like adults, giving them choices and letting them see the results of their decisions. Children in these situations tend to be more cooperative and higher self esteem because they feel that they have control of certain things in their life.

What Type of Parent Are You?

How your children turn out doesn’t necessarily mean you were bad parents or practiced bad parenting. Other factors such as where you live or who their friends are also major contributors of how your children grow up to be. Whether you choose to be the Indulgent parent, the Authoritarian parent, or the Authoritive parent, just remember that a loving bond between you and your children is very important.

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