Unique Parenting Approaches; It's More Than A Style

It is the desire of every parent's heart to do the best job they can for their children. Parents dream of happy healthy homes where children behave and feel loved. There is a lot of useful information available to parents, but it can also be overwhelming. Parents could easily get confused and frustrated with all the information. The library of Parenting Approaches continue to grow. It is no longer simply Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive.

Here are some recent theories on parenting approaches:

Capability Approach - Also called "Green Parenting", it focuses on being conscious of the world and our relationship to the world as a whole.

Holistic Parenting - Focusing on developing the mind, body and spirit of the child in as natural a way as possible.

Connection Parenting - This method stresses the importance of meeting the child's emotional needs as much as their physical needs. It encourages parents to model good behavior and connect with their children while keeping themselves a priority.

Peaceful Parenting - Promotes a harmonious environment where children learn kindness and respect through active family involvement.

Democratic Parenting - Empower children through dialogue to resolve conflict.

The best parenting style is one which is tailored to your family. It is wise to read about many methods, and then choose which features work best with your family. Each family is individual and unique; therefore, your parenting style should be unique. A particular parenting style should never supersede meeting the immediate needs of your family. Exceptions and accommodations will often be necessary.

The best two predictors of a person's parenting style are personality and past experiences. Are you someone who needs order or do you go with the flow? Does your family eat dinner together each night or do you each eat when you are hungry?

In order to figure out what your parenting approach will be, you must first ask yourself many reflection questions. Parents should be aware of their values in order to parent purposefully and not accidentally. Whether they want to or not, people tend to fall into their own parents' style of parenting. In order to be different, parents must actively seek to do things differently than their own parents.

Ask yourself:

• What are three things my parents did that I would like to do with my own children?
• What are three things that I want to be sure I never do with my children?
• How do I feel about the way that I was disciplined?
• What values do I want to instill in my children?
• How can I best instill those values?

There are several factors that affect a person's parenting approach:

1. Cultural background - the way a person was raised and the values of their culture.
2. Religious or moral beliefs - A person's beliefs about morally appropriate behavior can greatly influence their parenting style.
3. Values - which behaviors are discouraged or encouraged depend on the parents' personal views of what is important.
4. Beliefs about child development - the extent to which they believe a child is physically and mentally able to reason.

There is no easy answer or fool-proof method for developing a parenting approach to raise happy and healthy children. What works for some may not work for others. Hopefully, during the trial and error phase, you will run into something that works wonders for you. Well, at least for a while.