Psychologists have identified two dimensions underlying parenting behaviour. The first, and most important, is PARENTAL ACCEPTANCE.  Although most parents are at least moderately accepting of their children, some are indifferent  or even hostile and rejecting.  Parental acceptance and warmth appear to influence the degree to which internalize the standards and expectations of their parents.  Children whose parents hold them in high regards develop high self-esteem  and self-control ( behave  appropriately even if the parents are not  present). In contrast,  children whose parents are less  accepting may develop lower self-esteem and less self-control.

The second dimension of parenting  behaviour  is PARENTAL CONTROL or strictness  of psrental standards.  A parent who is moderstely controlling sets high performance  standards and expects increasingly mature behaviour.  A parent who is uncontrolling expects little of the child.  The absence of psrental control  is associated  with deviant behaviour by the child.

Four distinct parenting styles  are derivable from the interplay of parental accepting and parental control:
1. Authoritative Parents
2. Authoritarian Parents
3. Permissive Parents
4. Neglectful Parents.

Authoritative parents are high in acceptance and high in control. They set high goals for their children but are also very accepting of their children  and responsive to their needs. They provide age-appropriate  explanations that emphasize the consequence of “good” and “bad” behaviour.  Authoritative parents maintain firm control but take into account  each child’s  unique and  changing needs.

Authoritarian parents are low in acceptance  and  high in control. They are highly demanding and controlling and use physical punishment or the threat of  it with their children.  They issue commands that must be  obeyed without question. They are somewhat emotionally  distant from their children.

Permissive Parents  are high in acceptance and low in control. They make few or no demands of their children.  They allow  children free expression of impulses and set few limits on appropriate  behaviour.  They indulge their children.

Neglecting parents are low in acceptance and low in control.  They provide for the physical  and emotional needs of their children , but not much else.  They convey the impression that  they don’t  care for their children and not involved with  or supportive of their children ( no help with homework ).

The different parenting styles  correlate with varying traits in children.  Children of neglectful parents may have low self esteem,  impulsive and aggressive.  Permissive Parents may breed  undisciplined , impulsive and easily frustrated children with low academic performance. Children of authoritarian parents  tend to do  less well in school and have low self-esteem  and poor social skills. In contrast,  authoritative parents foster children that are friendly,   cooperative and possess strong social,  emotional and  cognitive competence.