4.2: Additional Parenting Styles

Researchers have identified additional parenting approaches that are not applicable to Baumrind’s styles, definitions, or outcomes. Below is an overview of three of these approaches–overindulgent parenting, helicopter parenting, and traditional parenting.

Overindulgent Parenting

Overindulgent parenting is providing children with too much of what “looks good, too soon, too long.”^[1] Oftentimes, it appears that parents implement these strategies to fulfill their own unmet needs or feelings of neglect from their own childhood.

Examples include giving children an overabundance of:

• things or experiences that are not developmentally appropriate for the child,
• family resources that appear to meet the child’s needs but do not,
• anything that actively harms or prevents a child from developing and achieving one’s full potential, and
• freedom with minimal boundaries and limits that are developmentally-inappropriate for the child.^[2]

Risks of Overindulgence

To learn 12 risks of overindulging a child, visit the Overindulgence website’s Resources for Parents page.

Figure 1. An overindulged child might become prone to outbursts or tantrums when faced with limitations (Photo Source: Mohamed Abdelgaffar on Pexels)

Many negative outcomes have been linked to overindulgent parenting, which include, but are not limited to, children who exhibit:

1. extreme self-centeredness,
2. excessive degrees of a sense of entitlement,
3. poor decision-making and coping skills, and
4. stifled developmental growth as a result of not experiencing or learning “necessary” life lessons.

Video Example

Learn more in this short video about overindulgent parenting.

Helicopter Parenting

Helicopter parenting is characterized by caregivers who are extremely overinvolved in their child’s life due to the belief that they can protect their child’s physical and/or emotional well-being. Caregivers using this approach appear overbearing and overprotective due to the close attention they pay to all of their child’s problems and successes. Parents “hover overhead” by constantly overseeing or being excessively interested in every aspect of their child’s life. Some contend that cell phones are “the world’s longest umbilical cord” which is contributing to this phenomenon.^[3]

Figure 2. Helicopter parents don’t literally ride in helicopters, but their hovering, overwatch mentality is similar. (Photo Source: Army Staff Sgt. Roberto Di Giovine)

Many negative outcomes have been linked to helicopter parenting, which may include, but are not limited to, children and adults who exhibit:

1. stifled developmental growth as a result of not experiencing or learning “necessary” life lessons,
2. long-term mental health problems,
3. rebellious behaviors in adolescence,^[4] and
4. a lack of independence coupled with poor decision-making, motivational, and coping skills. ^[5]

Traditional Parenting Style

Figure 3. A family eating a large meal. (Photo Source: National Cancer Institute)

The traditional parenting style is more commonly used in families with non-Western cultural values. Parents using this approach expect their children to respect and obey authority (e.g., parents, elders, etc.) and comply with their cultural beliefs and values without questions. Parents using this approach are high in demandingness, warmth, and responsiveness, similar to the authoritative approach, however, they do not engage in democratic discussions.^[6] This style was created because many parenting styles in non-Western cultures do not meet the criteria for authoritarian (due to expressing warmth) or authoritative (due to lack of communication).

For example, many families who self-identify as Asian Americans and Latino Americans engage in high demandingness and expect respect and obedience of their children. However, these caregivers also value closeness and love which is different from the authoritarian parenting style. Adolescents who grow up in families using traditional parenting style characteristics tend to show higher academic achievements and lower behavioral and psychological problems when compared to their peers who are reared by caregivers using the authoritarian approach. These positive outcomes may be related to the closeness and love shown to children, which is different from the “cold” or “distant” characteristics consistent with the authoritarian style. ^[7] Additional, less-researched parenting styles are listed below.

Table 1. Lemasters and Defrain Parenting Styles^[8]

Style	Description	Possible Outcomes
Martyr	Will do anything for the child; even tasks that the child should do for himself or herself; may use all they do for the child to guilt the child into compliance	Child learns to be dependent and manipulative
Pal	Wants to be the child’s friend; lets children do what they want and focuses mostly on being entertaining and fun; sets few limits	Child may have little self-discipline and may try to test limits with others
Police officer/drill sergeant	Focuses primarily on making sure that the child is obedient and that the parent has full control of the child; may scold or punish child for not doing things right; struggles to allow child to grow and learn to make decisions independently	Child may have a lot of resentment toward parent that is displaced on others
Teacher-counselor	Pays a lot of attention to expert advice on parenting and who believes that as long as all of the steps are followed, the parent can rear a perfect child	Puts all responsibility of outcomes on parent
Athletic coach	Helps the child understand what needs to happen in certain situations and encourages and advises the child about how to manage these situations; does not intervene or do things for the child; sets consistent and objective rules	Child is supported and guided while they learn firsthand how to handle situations

Key Takeaways

• Overindulgent parenting is when parents over-provide things which are typically not developmentally-appropriate for their child.
  • This style of parenting can result in the child having poor decision-making and coping skills and being highly self-centered.
• Helicopter parenting is when parents are over-involved in their child’s life, many times as a way to protect their child.
  • This style can result in the child lacking independence, having poor decision-making and coping skills, etc.
• Traditional parenting is when parents expect their children to respect and obey authority, as well as comply with their cultural beliefs and values.
  • This style of parenting can result in higher academic achievements and lower behavioral and psychological problems.

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1. Clarke, J. I., Dawson, C., & Bredehoft, D. (N.D.). Definition of childhood overindulgence. http://www.overindulgence.org/how-much-is-too-much/what-is-overindulgence.html. ↵
   
2. Clarke, J. I., Dawson, C., & Bredehoft, D. (N.D.). Raising likeable, responsible, respectful children in an age of overindulgence. http://overindulgence.org/.↵
   
3. Swann, S. (2014). Am I a helicopter parent? KTAR News. https://ktar.com/story/280372/. ↵
   
4. Wallace, M., Weybright, E., Rohner, B., & Crawford, J. (2015). Over-involved parenting and competition in youth development programs. Washington State University Extension. http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/pubs/fs179e/.↵
   
5. Helicopter Parenting by Diana Lang is an adaptation of Helicopter Parent by Wikimedia Foundation contributors, licensed CC BY SA. ↵
   
6. Chao, R. K. (2001). Extending Research on the Consequences of Parenting Style for Chinese Americans and European Americans. Child Development, 72(6), 1832-1843. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00381 ↵
   
7. Chao, R. K. (2001). Extending Research on the Consequences of Parenting Style for Chinese Americans and European Americans. Child Development, 72(6), 1832-1843. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00381 ↵
   
8. Lifespan Development - Module 5: Early Childhood by Lumen Learning references Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology by Laura Overstreet, licensed under CC BY 4.0↵