PINPOINT THE PARENTING STYLE

Authoritative

Consistent and Kind.

Authoritative  parents embody the healthiest and most balanced style of parenting. They combine high warmth with strong, consistent structure—giving children the emotional support they crave and the boundaries they need to grow. They set clear limits with kindness and respect, listen attentively to their child’s feelings, and offer guidance without control. Independence is encouraged, and discipline is delivered through natural consequences paired with calm explanations.

Authoritarian

Strict and Controlling.

Authoritarian parents are strict and controlling, offering high structure but little warmth. They enforce rules rigidly, with minimal room for dialogue, and often rely on punishment rather than guidance. Emotional needs are overlooked, and obedience is prioritized over understanding. Discipline is enforced through fear or shame rather than mutual respect or emotional attunement.

Permissive

Loving and Lenient.

Permissive parents are warm and affectionate, but offer little structure or discipline. Often trying to be a friend rather than a parent, they avoid setting clear limits and rarely follow through with consequences. Their leniency may feel loving, but it leaves children without the guidance and boundaries they need to feel secure. Rules, if present at all, are inconsistently applied and easily negotiated by the child.

Neglectful

Distant and Disinterested.

Neglectful parents are emotionally distant and largely unavailable. They offer neither warmth nor structure, often seeming distracted, overwhelmed, or entirely disengaged. These parents provide little guidance, attention, or support, and may fail to meet even the child’s basic emotional or physical needs. Their absence—whether physical, mental, or emotional—leaves the child feeling invisible and alone.

Adult Children of Authoritative Parents

Adults raised by authoritative parents—those who were both nurturing and firm, emotionally attuned yet clear with boundaries—tend to emerge with a healthy sense of self, emotional intelligence, and inner stability.

Adult Children of Authoritarian Parents

Adults raised by authoritarian parents—those who were overly controlling, rigid, or punitive—often emerge with deep internal conflicts around autonomy, self-expression, and self-worth.

Adult Children of Permissive Parents

Adults raised by permissive parents—those who were indulgent, inconsistent with limits, or overly accommodating—often grow into adults who are warm and emotionally expressive, but who may struggle with self-regulation, boundaries, and sustained effort. 

Adult Children of Neglectful Parents

Adults raised by neglectful parents—those who were emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or entirely absent—often carry deep, invisible wounds that shape their sense of self, emotional life, and relationships in profound ways.