Parenting in Gospel Context: Practices Do Make a Difference

Diana Baumrind's long-appreciated and empirically supported parent model, in which she define authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative forms of parenting. In addition to these typologies, a fourth, the uninvolved/disengages parent (who is neither loving nor demanding), has also been added. Of these four forms of parenting, empirical research has generally found that authoritative parenting is ideal in supporting positive child and adolescent outcomes. Here is a chart that might help you to better understand the different parenting forms.

Parenting styles have been defined as "constellations of behaviors that describe parent-child interactions over a wide range of situations and that are presumed to create a pervasive interactional climate. Authoritative parents are presumed to create a positive interactional climate bases on an optimal balance of high warmtjh and high expectations, which environment in run leads children and adolescents to be most receptive to parental influence. 

"The Key to strengthening our families is having the Spirit of the Lord come into our homes." (Robert D. Hales)

In essence, authoritative parenting creates an interactional climate that not only promotes positive parent-child relationships but also invites the Spirit of the Lord.