From Childhood to Adulthood: How Parenting styles effect child development

(Part 1)

(This blog post is based on the peer-reviewed article “Parenting Styles and Their Effect on Child Development and Outcome” by Awiszus et al., 2022.)

Introduction

Parenting is one of the most influential factors shaping a child’s emotional, social, and academic development. While the long-standing debate between nature and nurture continues, extensive psychological research confirms that parenting style plays a decisive role in how children grow, regulate emotions, build relationships, and function later in life.

This blog draws on a comprehensive review of 46 international studies that examine the relationship between parenting styles and child development outcomes, with consistent findings across cultures and age groups.

Understanding Parenting Styles and child development

Developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind originally identified three main parenting styles-authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive-later expanded into four with the addition of neglectful (or uninvolved) parenting. These styles are defined by two fundamental dimensions: parental responsiveness (warmth, emotional support) and parental demandingness (rules, expectations, and discipline).

• Authoritative parenting combines warmth, responsiveness, and clear boundaries.

• Authoritarian parenting is strict, controlling, and emotionally distant.

• Permissive parenting is warm but lacks structure and limits.

• Neglectful parenting involves low warmth, low involvement, and minimal guidance.

These dimensions are crucial because children need both emotional safety and consistent structure to develop in healthy ways.

Why Authoritative Parenting Stands Out

Across decades of research, authoritative parenting consistently emerges as the most beneficial style for children’s overall development. Children raised by authoritative parents show:

• Higher academic achievement

• Better emotional regulation

• Stronger social competence

• Higher self-esteem and resilience

• Lower levels of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems

Authoritative parents set clear expectations while remaining emotionally attuned. They communicate openly, explain rules and consequences, encourage independence, and respond sensitively to their child’s emotional experiences. This balance helps children feel both supported and guided, which is essential for long-term success.

While understanding parenting styles helps us see how children are raised, the deeper question remains: how do these early experiences shape a child’s inner emotional world?

In the second part of this series, we explore how parenting styles influence emotional intelligence, mental health, academic success, and life readiness—and why emotional development at home continues to shape who we become long after childhood ends.