http://www.oldermomscafe.com/impact-of-change-on-parenting-publicnet.html

This article is pretty interesting about a study that investigated what happens or causes a change in parenting style.And I quote -

The researchers concluded that:

• Parents were doing a good job in most circumstances.

• Parenting proved more sensitive to changes in maternal health and well-being than to changing socio-economic circumstances.

• The provision of financial and social support to families may prevent large numbers of children being exposed to a reduction in quality of parenting. However, it is unrealistic to expect that moving families out of poverty will, on its own, improve parenting.

• Greater benefit may be seen if parenting policy were to emphasise the promotion of parents’ mental and physical health alongside measures to improve parenting and reduce childhood poverty.

Now the second conclusion surprised me because I fully expected it to say that parenting styles changed when marriages/relationships ended. Going from two parents to one being in sole charge the majority of the time, I would have thought the main carer would have changed their style in some way… if not only to accomodate this shift in the dynamics of the situation.

Would you do things exactly the same if you were the only parent calling the shots as it were 99% of the time, or would you still parent in the same way you do as a couple? Did you ever see your parenting style or your own parent's style change at some point? If so, could you pinpoint why?

Would you do things exactly the same if you were the only parent calling the shots as it were 99% of the time, or would you still parent in the same way you do as a couple? Did you ever see your parenting style or your own parent's style change at some point? If so, could you pinpoint why?

I have been trying to figure out how I would answer this question.

My first instinct is that my parenting style is ALWAYS changing.  I am always looking for ways to help my children improve themselves and the way they live. They each respond differently to situations and require different skills to get themselves through them.  They require different amounts of attention and supervision throughout these situations as well.  They also recieve consequences based on their own needs and what is going to come across stronger to them (time out will work for one, while it will not work at all for the other).

But at the same time, there are 2 things I demand from my children at all times … Honesty and Respect.  I want them to tell the truth regardless of the consequences and I want them to respect themselves, respect others and respect the environment they are in.

I can't see that this would change if I were single and raising my girls alone.  My husband and I do not have “roles” that we play … there is not one that will love and one that will punish … we pretty much share the roles evenly.