• Start Here
  • Work With Me
  • Parenting
  • Kids Activities
  • Working Moms
  • Productivity Tips
  • Number of items in cart: 0

    • Your cart is empty.
    • Total: $0.00
    • Checkout

Fab Working Mom Life

A Working Mom Blog: Let's thrive as working moms.

  • Blog
  • Motherhood
    • Breastfeeding
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Kids Activities
    • Working Mom
  • Lifestyle
    • Finances
    • Food
    • Health
    • Home Life
    • Military
    • Organize
  • Resources
    • Blogging Resources
    • Working Mom Life Resources
  • About
    • About Julie
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Subscribe
  • Work With Me
    • Advertise Here or Hire Me
    • Guest Post Here
    • Link and Image Policy
    • As Seen On
  • Freebies
    • Affirmations for Working Moms
    • Monthly Budget
    • Nanny Interview Questions Checklist
    • Start a Blog? email course
    • Printables
  • Shop
    • Budget Workbook Planner
    • 12 Month Habit Tracker Printable
    • Christmas Games and Planning Printables
    • Nanny Contract Template
    • My Zazzle Store
    • My Amazon Store
    • Printables Downloads
    • Etsy Store

Note: posts contain affiliate links, earning me a commission. By using this site, you agree to our use of browser cookies. Read our disclosure and privacy policies for more details.

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You?

January 8, 2018 by Julie 6 Comments

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe and join fellow working moms. Thanks for visiting!

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You?

Inside: Here are some different parenting styles, and what they mean for your family.  Read on for 7 different types of parents. Which one are you?

guestpost

Have you ever heard that voice inside your head saying that you’re a worthless parent? Or a “bad mom?”

That you’re too soft or too strict, buying too much or working too much, involved too much or not involved enough?

People parent their children differently. Some good, some bad, some not at all, but the bottom line is, we all have our own soundtrack, our own styles when it comes to parenting.

And our parenting style affects everything, from how kids feel about themselves to even how much they weigh. It’s important to ensure that your parenting style is supporting healthy child development — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.


Do you know what type of parent you are?

Here are some different parenting styles, and what they mean for your family:

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You? Read about these different category of parents

The Drill Sergeant Parent

Raise your hands if the following statements are true to you:

  • You believe it’s “my way or the highway” when it comes to rules
  • You believe kids should be seen, not heard
  • You shout, tell off, and punish

If these statements are true, then you’re a drill sergeant parent, also known as the authoritarian, the tiger, or the boss parent. You expect obedience at all times, excellence in every situation, and a child who never talks back. You lead your child with a set of clearly defined dos and don’ts.

Of course, you often have a good reason for scolding your kids. That’s because you believe it’s your responsibility to teach them what’s right and wrong and to prepare them for life. According to research, however, this parenting type breeds children who have little to no confidence in themselves, and are unhappy and unfriendly.

The Oblivious Parent

This is what oblivious parents, also called permissive parents, often say: “He’s just a kid. That’s what kids do.” They’re basically the parent who’s too busy talking to other parents to notice their kid has pretty much beaten every kid at the playground.

The oblivious parent is the permissive type, who’s very lax and has a lenient attitude toward parenting. They’re known to be indulgent. This type of parent is always there to listen and support their kids, but find it hard to discipline and reprimand them.

While permissive parents are extremely responsive and affectionate, they don’t expect much from their kids. And according to psychologists, they also don’t offer much in the way of advice or guidelines.

Recommended Post:  5 Ways to Raise Tech-Savvy Gen Z

Research shows that an oblivious parent leads to kids lacking in self-control and having low academic achievement.

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You?

The Prince-Princess Parent

Yes, we can see that your one-year-old can already count to ten on their own. Yes, we can hear your child reciting a poem at the age of six. Yes, we can see that your toddler is no longer in diapers. Good for you.

The Prince-Princess Parent thinks their child is a special snowflake. Yes, your little one is special — but so is every other kid out there. They’re not exceptional enough to skip homework or to not follow school policies.

Your kids are the people you treasure the most. But you must also accept that the policies apply to all children, even yours.

The Helicopter Parent

You’re a helicopter parent if you step in to prevent your child’s every struggle. You are too involved in your child’s education and you frequently call the teacher when things come up, or just because.

Psychologist Foster Cline and Jim Fay, an education consultant, coined the term “helicopter parent” in their book titled Parenting with Love and Logic. According to the book, helicopter parents are confused about the difference between showing love and saving children from themselves.

Also called the no-boundaries parent, this parenting style is a variation of the drill sergeant approach — only it’s less strict, and hands-on parental involvement is taken a step further.

Often, children of helicopter parents become easily anxious and lack resilience.

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You?

The MIA Parent

The MIA (missing-in-action) or ghost parent is characterized by a lack of presence at afterschool games, parent-teacher meetings, fundraisers, and award ceremonies. This often makes teachers a bit nervous, because connected parents often make successful students.

Your reasons for not attending school programs can vary — you may be very busy or have other younger children at home who require most of your attention. This is understandable, but it’s also good to take the time to touch base with teachers at parent’s night and to show support to your child.

The Extracurricular Parent

The extracurricular parent is a mom or dad who puts their child into afterschool programs, which are growing in popularity. Afterschool programs include supplementary courses, piano lessons, sports activities, STEM clubs, and dance.

The extracurricular parent is ambitious. If you have this parenting style, you want your kid to excel in multiple intelligences quickly, and you’re supportive of their performance.

This parenting style provides tons of benefits for your child; participation in quality afterschool programs, after all, is associated with better conduct in school and better grades, as well as improved social-emotional skills.

Recommended Post:  How to Help your Child with School Anxiety

The Free-Range Parent

As a free-range parent, you believe your role is to equip your child with the skills, back off, and simply trust them with their decisions. You raise your children to function independently with little parental supervision. It’s the opposite of helicopter parenting and was popularized by pediatrician Benjamin Spock.

You believe that when you protect and shelter your kids too much, you stunt their growth and their development of their ability to cope with challenges later in life.

The Parenting Footprint: What’s in a Style?

Do any of the listed parent types describe your approach? Have you figured out what type of parents you are? Are you happy with your style? Are you repeating the things you once told yourself you’d never do to your own kid?

This article provides you an inside look into your relationship with your child. It might let you realize that you’re using the right approach, or that you need to improve some areas. Either way, it has some important information that will make you more confident as you go on your parenthood journey.

Just remember that as a parent, you’re leaving footprints on your children, the same way you had footprints left you on by your parents. These footprints may be positive, neutral, or negative, or a combination of the three — but we’re leaving our legacy to our kids and our future grandchildren every day.

So it’s not a question of if you’re parenting the right way. The real question is: What parenting footprint do you want to leave?

The 7 Different Types of Parents: Which One are You?

 

Author Bio
Pamela writes about anything. Whether it’s cats, tech, food, or why the best burrito comes from places you don’t expect to serve burrito, there’s always something worth writing about in every experience. She perfects strategies for Snakes & Ladders in her free time.

 

 

 

You may also like:

 

Gift Ideas and Toys that provide Sensory Input for Hyper kids | Fab Working Mom Life #sensory #adhd #hyper #vestibular #proprioceptive #sensoryinput #sensorytoys #giftguide #giftideas

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Categories: Guest Posts, Parenting

the PAST
the FUTURE

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Comments

  1. Shannon says

    April 10, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    I’m definitely an extracurricular Mom. I’d like to strive to be more of a free range parent but I’m a bit overprotective. This was an amazing article!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 10, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      I’m overprotective too! Thanks for sharing your type! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Krystal Miller says

    January 10, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    I’ll admit it – I’m kind of a helicopter parent, but also a bit free range in the right situation!

    Reply
  3. Bekah Smith says

    January 9, 2018 at 7:23 am

    I really enjoyed this article. It definitely made me reflect on what type of parenting style I use with my little ones. Given all my babies are 2 and under and my parenting style can change with their age, at this stage I think I’m a helicopter parent (totally need to work on that!).
    I so enjoyed your post. Can’t wait to read more!

    Reply
  4. Niki at Toot's Mom is Tired says

    January 8, 2018 at 10:06 pm

    I think I’m a mix of the extracurricular parent and the free range parent. She’s only 2 so we haven’t gotten to structured activities but I’m excited to let her explore her interests whether they be an instrument, dance, sports, art, or science. But I’m also a fan of letting her do her own thing and trying not to be a helicopter parent. lol

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      April 10, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      I’m definitely an extracurricular parent. I’d like to strive to be a little more of a free range parent but I’m a bit overprotective. Thanks for the amazing article.

      Reply

Comments are held for moderation. Links are no follow.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments are held for moderation.

About Julie

Julie of Fab Working Mom Life Welcome! My name is Julie :) I am a Texan living in Hawaii (military life). I'm a mom, a blogger, and also work full-time in environmental compliance. I write about being a working mom to help myself and other working moms in our journey to find a balance between our family, responsibilities, and hobbies. I do this because we moms need a support network to thrive both at home and at work.

Follow us

  • mail
  • instagram
  • instagram
  • tiktok
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • bloglovin

Note: posts contain affiliate links, earning me a small commission at no additional charge to you. This site uses browser cookies to store information on your computer: some are essential to make this site work, others improve your user experience, and track behavior and user patterns (for advertising purposes). By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our disclosure and privacy policies for more details.

Join fellow Working Moms

Grab these Affirmations for Working Moms when you Join!

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Pin with me!


Follow my Pinterest blog board

Most Popular

If you're searching for quick and easy toddler recipes and toddler meals for picky eaters you've got to check out this post! This roundup contains healthy toddler meal ideas as well as finger foods for toddlers and 1 year old meal ideas. Keep reading for your toddler meal plan for quick dinner ideas for toddlers! | Fab Working Mom Life #toddler #dinner #feedinglittles #feedingtoddlers #familydinner #workingmom #workingmomlife #parenting

Toddler meals for Picky Eaters: 30+ quick and easy toddler recipes 

When Your Hyper Child Just Doesn’t Listen, Try This

Lactation Oatmeal Recipe

Lactation Oatmeal Recipe: How to make Overnight Oatmeal with Lactation Goodness

Featured Posts

  • Fabulous Productivity Tips for Working Moms to Run Your Schedule Like a Boss!
  • Toddler Breakfast Ideas (before daycare or preschool)
  • Tips for Battling Momnesia or How to Deal with the Mental Load of Motherhood
  • How to practice Mindfulness as a Busy Mom
  • Tips to Help your Toddler Develop Language Skills
Christmas gifts guide

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Fab Working Mom Life Hot Topics

productivity tips for working moms
5-things-you-need-to-know-to-breastfeed-baby-sliderthings-to-do-to-prepare-for-baby-for-first-time-moms-slider

Link to Fab Working Mom Life

Membership


Memberships page.

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
  • Start Here
  • Work With Me
  • Guest Post Here
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Link and Image Policy

Note: Posts contain affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase a product, I will receive a small commission for the sale at no additional cost to you. Fab Working Mom Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Protected by Copyscape
DMCA.com Protection Status
DMCA.com Protection Status

Copyright © 2022 · Fab Working Mom Life· Hello You Designs

Copyright © 2022 · Sweets Blog on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT