Parenting Styles

On Tuesday in class we discussed the different types of parenting styles.  I am familiar with these parenting styles because I have taken previous courses which focus on these aspects of family life and the different family atmospheres they create.  It is interesting to me to think about the students I work with at my practicum and what types of parenting styles their parents use on them.  I think that through observation, you can learn a lot about how a child was raised and the relationship he/she may have with his/her parents.  For example, one young girl in my 2nd grade class is very intelligent and very well behaved in class.  She is aware of the expectations that teachers have and shows respect and an understanding for these limits.  She is a great communicator to both her peers and adults and whenever problems arise, she conducts herself in an appropriate manner and deals with the problem very well.  She is very confident in herself and knows that she is one of the top students in the class, but does not let this go to her head.  Instead, she uses her learning strengths as a tool to help others in the classroom.  Through the time I've spent with this classroom and observing her, I can tell that her parents have raised her under an authoritative parenting style because she is very loved by her parents, is capable of making decisions on her own, has self-confidence, she is academically successful, and is just an all around healthy child.