Every week on Dr. Phil there is always at least one mother who cannot seem to handle her child. Majority of the time, this mother usually parents permissively. Something else we see constantly on TV shows are authoritarian parents who do not let their children do anything. This usually provides great plot lines, since the child typically rebels, adding drama. Clearly, anyone can see that both of these parenting styles can backfire. Something our textbook mentions is that child temperament could influence parenting styles. This made me curious because, considering this is the case, why do parents consistently struggle with their children? Parents should be able to tell from infancy what kind of attitude their child has. For example, if they have an easy baby, chances are they will not have to be as strict, therefore making a permissive parenting style acceptable. The same thing goes for authoritarian parents: if they have a fussy baby who gets into things, chances are they will need to be stricter than a parent with an easy baby. In my opinion, I think that parents make the mistake of deciding a parenting style before they get to know what their child is going to be like. I think parents fail to realize that every child is different, and therefore the way they were raised may not be the best method for raising their own. I agree with the idea that a child's disposition influences the way his or her parents raise them, and I feel that if more parents recognized this, they may have an easier time raising their children.
