Dr Tajuddeen Sa’ad
Abstract
This paper was premised on examining the parental upbringing and behavioural patterns of children. It examined the four parenting styles and their implications on children’s behavioural patterns. It was found that children raised in an authoritative style tend to be warmth, responsive, and firm. Moreso, children raised in an authoritarian style manifest high in control but low in warmth. Children under this style tend to exhibit lower self-esteem, higher anxiety, and aggressive behaviour. Permissive parenting style has been linked to impulsivity, poor self-regulation and academic challenges in children. In addition, children raised in neglectful or uninvolved parenting style, often experience poor academic outcomes, behavioural issues and difficulty in forming relationship. In this vein, the paper concluded that parenting styles strongly influence children’s behavioural development. While authoritative parenting fosters positive behavioural outcomes, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful parenting styles are associated with behavioural challenges. Understanding how parenting shapes behaviour is crucial for promoting healthy child development. It is recommended, among others, that parents should be supported to combine warmth with firm, and consistent guidance; and that training programmes and parenting workshops can help caregivers learn effective communication, positive discipline, and emotional support strategies that promote healthy behavioural development.