Handling Parenting Differences
How does a parent learn “to parent”? Many new parents are apprehensive when it’s time to bring a baby home. As most of us have learned, the parenting books or other helpful or friendly advice from relatives, friends and complete strangers at the grocery store are not always what our particular child (or children) need. The same is true for what we and our spouses think is the best for a child.
Parenting practices and styles often vary widely based on our own upbringing, education, culture, local societal norms, and expectations. Parenting styles also tend to change between generations. Parenting practices are specific behaviors that we utilize to parent our children. Parenting styles are the strategies that we use to communicate and build relationships with our children. These styles and strategies affect how we bond with our children, discipline them, and expect them to develop into maturity. An example of a parenting practice would be the decision to allow your child to play in the middle of a busy intersection. An example of parenting style is a parent’s practice of allowing his or her child to explore and learn without attempting to control or micro-manage learning experiences.