Growing up my parents were the Authoritative type of parents. They were demanding and strict, with many rules, but were very kind and loving too. I remember every Saturday morning my brother and I had cleaning chores.

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Growing up my parents were the Authoritative type of parents. They were demanding and strict, with many rules, but were very kind and loving too. I remember every Saturday morning my brother and I had cleaning chores. We hated every minute of it! My mom knew we didn’t like doing the chores, so as soon as we finished our jobs, she rewarded us with money to go out with our friends or she would make our favorite food that day. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. I think she showed us even though we do things we don’t really enjoy there could be a reward at the end. To a parent that has a Permissive style parenting, one who requires few controls and no demands of their child, (seccombe, 2015); can look at the way my mom disciplined us to be such a “useful child, whose labor was needed” (Seccombe, p.252, 2015).

On the other hand, there are some people when becoming a parent, feel the need to be perfect humans for their child. This mindset makes them forget they are imperfect, and full of faults and failures (Gordon, 2022). I feel the parent does not need to try so hard to be an example to their child. I can see a child just wants to feel needed and wanted by their parents. With the strict discipline and their focus on being perfect parents they forget to love their child which emulates an Authoritarian style parenting.

I believe my parents used the best approach in raising my brother and I, because we grew up to become disciplined and goal-oriented adults, who respects others, and believe to have strong values. Having a structured childhood offered us lessons of life that molded and built us to become who we are today. I raise my children with a lot of love and rules. I find having rules guides them to a successful growth and understanding life patterns of consequences and rewards. It is difficult to appreciate something that you did not earn. There is more value and worth when you work hard for something. I am following in the footsteps of my parents in the Authoritative type of parenting.