Running head: THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORATATIVE PARENTING

The Effects of Authoritative Parenting on the Socioemotional

Development
of Toddlers

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

Abstract
The effects of authoritative parenting are influencing in the toddler years of a
childs development. Because the toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional
and social development, it is imperative that parents develop a quality relationship with
their child. Authoritative parenting, a preferred parenting style, provides an adequate
balance between a positive and nurturing experience and the product of high expectations
with clear set guidelines. These conditions are best suited to facilitate the proper
development of a childs socioemotional proficiency. While children with well-developed
socioemotional skills are more apt to express their ideas and feelings, display empathy
towards others, and succeed in school, the opposite holds true for children who fail to
develop those skills. Scholarly research further emphasizes on the significance of finetuned socioemotional skills, sometimes defining healthy social-emotional development in
young children as early childhood mental health.

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

The Effects of Authoritative Parenting on the Socioemotional Development of

Toddlers
The modern era has seen parents, guardians, and caretakers take on the idea that
children require adult guidance during the early stages of their development. Of these
stages in child development, the toddler years produce what can be best thought of as a
mini-protg. These years make up the transition from infancy to preschool and mark the
time where children become aware of themselves, their surroundings, and learn to deal
with the issues they face. New experiences are part of the socioemotional development of
children and are greatly influenced by the quality of the relationships that they develop
with their parents. Often times, the degree to which the child develops their
socioemotional skill is based on the primary caregivers approach to parent the child. As
researchers put it, [e]arly interactions with parents play a central role in childrens
socioemotional development, as these experiences serve as the foundations for childrens
regulatory functioning (Razza, Martin, and Brooks-Gunn, 2012). Because of this, we
can associate a childs behavior to their parents. Depending on the style of parenting
used to raise the child, we can predict the general behavior of a child in to adulthood. A
child who exhibits self-regulation, or lack thereof, is the therefor the product of positive
or negative parental interaction. For this reason, it would behoove one to deal with a
toddlerswho is just now developing his/her socioemotional skillsbehavior properly
the first time in order to better serve them in the future. While many parenting styles
exist, the one most associated with well-developed and successful children is the

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

authoritative approach (Fletcher, Steinberg, and Sellers, 1999). Baumrind (1966)

describes an authoritative parent as [one] who attempts to direct the childs activities in a
rational, issue-oriented manner. The authoritative parent encourages verbal give and
take, shares with the child reasoning behind [their] policy, and solicits the childs
objections when [they] refuse to conform (Baumrind, 1966). The exact methods an
authoritative parent adopts to interact with their toddler will have a long-lasting effect on
them through childhood and adulthood in developing socioemotional proficiency.
The authoritative approach is about setting guidelines while reasoning with the
child to appropriately respond to their needs. Refer to it as the Goldilocks gambit, the
style is most common amongst the middle class and described by Baumrind as the just
right method (Baumrind, 1966). The authoritative parent falls somewhere between
permissive and totalitarian. Much like the permissive parent, they are responsive, positive
and nurturing. However, when appropriate, they set strict rules and have high
expectations of their childjust like the totalitarian parent. Authoritative parenting is
very much unlike the neglectful parent, where neither nurture nor demand is given to the
child. Parents who utilize the authoritative style are efficient at catering to the needs of
their childs development, but encourage independence, self-awareness, and
responsibility. In sum, authoritative parents are both highly responsive and very directive
(Maccoby and Martin, 1983).
Children whose caregivers parenting style is authoritative are less likely to
experience depression, anxiety, and anti-social behavior. Research has shown that these
children may also report less aggression and relationship problems during the early
school years (Choe, Olson, Sameroff, 2013; Yamagata, 2013). While these studies only

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

reflect short-term results, one report that surveyed two hundred sixty-two college students
showed that those whose parents were authoritative answered that they were less likely to
succumb to peer-influence. Instead, the authoritatively reared students revealed that their
parents were more likely to influence their decisions (Bednar and Fisher, 2003). In
another study, adults whose fathers utilized the totalitarian approach to raise them during
childhood were more likely to become aggressive towards their peers (Russell, Hart,
Robinson, and Olsen 2003). These studies support the long-term positive effects of
authoritative nurturing during a childs toddler yearswhen they are most malleable.
The toddler years are a time of much change for children. While parenting styles
affect the socioemotional development of children, it can also affect other aspects of their
overall mental health. Child development suggests the toddler years are not only when
children begin to truly develop their socioemotional skills, but also their social cognitive
ones (Miller, 2010). Social cognitive theory postulates that people, in this case, toddlers,
learn from others based on observation. It is founded on the process of learning directly
correlated to the observation of models. The models can range from parents to teachers,
and even sometimes media. It does not have to be direct; rather, it has to be observed.
Effective representation teaches general principles and strategies for dealing with various
circumstances (Bandura, 1988). For example, a childs way of thinking may change
based on behavior that he witnessed. Depending on the substance of the observation, they
will reflect on their experience later in life. A child whose father employs the totalitarian
method to raise him/her may grow up to meet the high expectations his/her father set.
However, the child will not exhibit adequate interpersonal skills because totalitarian
parents are characterized by harsh punishment, strict rules, and little warmth. The child

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

will not possess people skills. Most children raised in a totalitarialistic home have a
high level of self-efficacy. On the contrary, a child whose parents are permissive will not
exhibit proficiency in discipline nor self-regulation. They observe behavior that only
responds to their needs, thus, they only respond to their needs and reflect egocentric
ideals. Most children who are raised permissively have a low sense of awareness.
However, because authoritative parenting falls on a balance of these two principals, a
parent who raises their child authoritatively will accomplish two things: (a) they will
succeed in developing their childs self-efficacy (b) they will succeed in developing their
childs awareness of others (Miller, 2010). A child who has both high self-efficacy and a
high level of awareness is more likely to believe that they can overcome challenging
problems and they can recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments (Bandura,
1988). During the toddler years, these setbacks can range from learning how to walk o
and/or learning how to eat independently. Authoritative parenting expedites the learning
process because it provides for the child while allowing them to learn independently. It
has a positive effect on a childs social cognitive development during the toddler years.
While an increase in social cognitive development in toddlers will almost always
have a positive effect on their mental health, too much social cognition at a later age can
result in a child comparing themselves to others. This can be at a disadvantage to the
childs mental health as they enter a stage of self-disapproval and disappointment.
In essence, parenting styles can be a roll of loaded dice, with certain parenting
styles being better than others, however, none guaranteed. Authoritative parenting finds a
middle ground between the responsive/demanding parenting styles and completely
disregards the negligent ones. The authoritative approach provides developing children

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

with the guidance they need to grow into successful individuals. Particularly, the toddler
years provide parents with the perfect window of time to aid a child in development.
They are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development, and thus, it would
be incumbent on a parent to take the opportunity in order to benefit their childs mental
health. The authoritative style addresses childrens socioemotional and social cognitive
development by way of reason. Children with well-developed socioemotional and social
cognitive skills are able to face and overcome challenges, display empathy towards
others, and solve problems effectively. In conclusion, research supports that the effects of
properly employed authoritative parenting can be beneficial to a childs overall mental
health.

THE EFFECTS OF AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING

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