Parenting behaviors related to making rules, sticking to them, and insisting on consequences for bad behavior can be grouped into three categories. Those categories include six different styles of disciplines. Parent behavior can be overpowering, supportive, or lacking. The overpowering style of parenting is too strict or demeaning of the child. The supportive style is authoritative or adjusts to circumstances, depending on the situation. The lacking style is either permissive or being unavailable to a child that needs discipline. Supportive styles are what we want to use. The other two styles we want to avoid.

Unfortunately, we use all six styles at times. Sometimes because we don’t know enough about supportive styles and sometimes because we slip into the overpowering or lacking styles due to stress.

Our next few posts will talk more about and give examples of the six styles of discipline. Stay tuned.