Latest news with #parentingexperts
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
What's your parenting style? Waffler or wimp or something else entirely?
You may not know this, but there are different parenting styles and they have their own official names. You're probably concerned about your own style, which you should be (because one day, your children will say you picked the wrong one). Also, labeling things is important. The best parenting style is the one that doesn't involve manual labor or time away from binge watching shows about cheating spouses. According to parenting experts, who spend all day long making up things and changing them, there are three main types: Mob Boss ('authoritarian'), Waffler ('authoritative') and Wimp ('permissive'). If you only stick to one style, everyone in the house will become bored. So, if you've allowed your kids to skip school and go to the horse track (Wimp), demand that they perform feats of strength later at the dinner table (Mob Boss.). Before allowing a play date at someone else's house and witnessing the wrong parenting style, remember: you don't want your kids to learn about free will. Sneak into the home to spy first. Don't be judgy, but if the worst is true, keep your kid out of there. Here are some other highly recommended and ground-breaking parenting styles, below, that scientists will publish in a prestigious academic journal soon or possibly never. It might help to read this list, because licensed mental health professionals say that being self-aware is healthy. I have no idea why, but it sounds impressive. Zen Parent: 'You do you, dear,' as the child hurls a large toy truck at the TV. Hysterical Parent: 'I'll hurl this knife into my chest if you don't eat that broccoli.' Touchy Parent: 'Did that sneeze mean that you plan to run away after getting together the money for a bus ticket?' Guilt-Trip Parent: 'How could you not like my homemade pureed carrots? I skipped bowling night to make them. If you're not answering because you're a 6-month-old baby, I'm still hurt by your behavior.' Well-Bred Parent: 'You didn't say 'excuse me' for that burp, after you stole the lighter fluid and torched the house. Being tired is no excuse for bad manners.' Demanding Parent: 'You scratched your tricycle; you buff it.' Bear Hug Parent: 'Get over here, you big, lovable goons,' after their sixth public tantrum that day. Overcompensating Parent: 'You can have my new car,' after failing to produce suitable candy during mid-afternoon snack time. Breaking and Entering Parent: You snuck into their bedroom to crack open the windows, due to the smell. Unfortunately, they'd installed a surveillance camera. Now they've initiated a room cleaning strike and will never trust you again. In this case, you might need a new parenting style. Pam J. Hecht is a writer, instructor and mother of two (but not necessarily in that order). Reach her at pamjh8@ or This article originally appeared on Greenville News: The Funny Business of Parenting – Are you THAT kind of parent?
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When I became a parent, I was rigid with my parenting style. Now that I have 3 kids, I've learned to be more flexible.
When I first became a parent, I thought there was just one "right" way to parent. Now that I have three kids, I've become more flexible in my parenting style. I respond based on the individual child and situation. When I became a mother, I devoured parenting books, hoping to find the "right" way to raise my child. After all, there are myriad parenting experts out there, and they all seem to promise that, with the correct techniques, parenting can be as simple as following a formula. And, to be fair, each of these methods did help in its own way. But, 13 years and three kids later, I've learned that my most effective parenting style isn't a formula at all. It's more like a flexible flow state, adapting to each situation — and each kid — as necessary. In the early years, when I still thought there was one "right" way to do things, my first baby made me feel like a parenting prodigy. Early on, she was sleeping through the night, eating well, and was just generally easygoing. Naturally, I chalked up this temperament to my diligent following of expert advice and congratulated myself on learning how to be an excellent mother. Then my second baby arrived and blew that theory to pieces. What worked for my first didn't work at all for my second. Techniques I'd previously sworn by, like Dr. Harvey Karp's "5 S's" for soothing babies, only left my new baby shrieking louder. And nothing humbles you faster than an inconsolable newborn who refuses to be soothed by a checklist. So I went back to the drawing board, fumbling my way through the early days of parenting and following my son's cues to learn what settled him instead. It was deflating, but it also taught me a great lesson in parenting early on: no two children are alike, and parenting strategies need to bend with them. By the time our third child was born, I had zero expectations. I had a full toolbelt of ideas, thanks to all that reading I had done and the five years of parenting experience I had gained, but no illusions that any one approach would work universally. This flexibility made me a calmer, more responsive parent. And not just during the baby years. As our kids grew, it became even more obvious that each one handled the world differently. I had also learned that, just like soothing techniques needed to vary, so does emotional support. One of our children wants a quiet space to process big feelings; another needs immediate hugs and reassurance. The third is somewhere in between. And this continues to change as they get older. We have learned to remain adaptable to what they need at any given age or situation based on what we see, rather than a set of steps. Over time, I found that focusing too much on any specific parenting philosophy left me feeling more prescriptive instead of supportive. If I spent too much energy worrying about how a "gentle parent" would respond, I wasn't truly paying attention to what my child needed in that particular moment. Parenting through a rigid script generally ended in frustration for all of us, but parenting through presence was a different story. It helped us feel more connected and generally resolved the issue more quickly. Not to mention, as anyone who has been around kids quickly realizes, following anything rigidly is difficult. These days, I'm less interested in labeling my parenting style and more focused on being the parent my kids need in that specific moment. Parenting, for me, isn't about finding the "right" system to follow. Instead, it's been about flexibility, paying attention to my kids, and meeting them where they are, with whatever patience, curiosity, and compassion I have in that moment. It may not always be perfect, but it feels just right. Read the original article on Business Insider
