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We all have our own parenting style, but there are a few generic styles that can be recognised among parents. Read about the most common parental styles among today’s parents. Which one are you?

While we love labelling everything, most of us don’t fully fall into one parenting style category. Most parenting styles are extremes, but as parents we probably pass through most of them periodically and mostly parent with a combination of a few styles. Recognising the different aspects of the parenting styles will teach you about the pitfalls and maybe let you find your own perfect combination of them all.

Helicopter parent

Tends to hover over their child’s every step and activity, rarely letting him out of their sight. Always wanting to protect their child from the harsh world by trying to smooth the way. They tend to be overprotective and will often over-parent their child, to the point of being over-bearing and obsessive. Helicopter parents can limit their child’s experiences and even rough play, due to the possible injuries and negative experiences a child can face. While a helicopter parent has all the good intentions and are very engaged in their child’s live, they may need to let their child make mistakes, face disappointment and fight their own battles, to become independent and self-confident adults.

Submarine parent

Also labelled as Authoritative parent, is a parent that will monitor and guide a child, provide plenty of support and freedom within set boundaries. The difference is that all is done in a more discrete and unobtrusive way, out of sight. While a helicopter parent always takes the safe route, a submarine parent will let their child make choices. A submarine parent will only intervene in their child’s life when necessary, will let the child learn about natural consequences to actions, but will enforce set rules and not shy away from conflict. The submarine parent is a label created by Silvana Clark, author of the book Fun-Filled Parenting.

Indulgent parent

A type of parenting we easily fall into with our children after being our baby’s world, and it is most common in families with one or two children. Parents will often become servants or butlers to their child’s every needs and want. This happens either by habit from babyhood, but also conciously to let them enjoy an easy childhood. Parents will do everything from always fetching whatever the child asks for to letting family life revolve only around their child’s needs and wants. Children can grow up self-absorbed and feeling that the world owes them.

Hyper parent

Similar to the indulgent parent, family life revolves around the kids and their activities. The hyper parent will try to have full control of their child’s life, making sure their child experiences all stimulating activities that will enhance their development. A hyper parent worries that by not letting their children have new experiences, it will stunt their child’s potential. Children’s lives are structured; often hurried and family life revolves around them, which can lead to stress, irritability and anxiety. Over-scheduling also limits the time a child has for free play and little relaxed family time.

Free range parent

Far from an overprotective parent and probably the most controversial parenting style today. A free range parent wants an independent and self-reliant child and will give plenty of freedom and mobility. This parent prepares and explains the safety procedures of being on your own, but does not believe in letting fear limit a child’s experiences of the outside world, starting from an early age. The parent is confident that their child can deal with most situations, and although this seems controversial it is how most of us were raised. A free range child will walk to school on his own, be outdoors for long periods without their parent knowing exactly where they are and has the type of freedom we experienced as children. American author of the book Free-Range Kids, Lenore Skenazy, started a blog after being labelled “America’s worst mother” for letting her nine year old son ride the subway alone.

Tiger mother - the pushy and authoritarian parent

A new concept of parenting labelled by Amy Chua, Chinese American author of the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, with a style similar to the older authoritarian parenting style. A demanding parent that expects the best results from their child and dislikes activities that are just for fun. One of the mottos is “nothing is fun until you’re good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences”, says Amy Chua in the Wall Street Journal.

There is no anxiousness about your child’s development self-esteem or worries about what the parental demands will do. Instead there is a rock hard conviction that your child can achieve the best results, only if he is dedicated and works.