Protected: Find Your Parenting Style, Transform Your Life

As an indulgent parent, you’re your children’s best friend. No matter what mess they’re facing, they know they can trust you to pick up the pieces and Super Glue ‘em back together...

Your discipline style is lax to the max. Which is to say, you might not have high behavior expectations for your kids — you prefer to let them figure life out on their own without strict rules.

You likely avoid positioning yourself as an authority figure, which makes your children feel comfortable communicating openly with you. You’re warm, nurturing, and oh so ready to indulge their every need.

Here’s the thing though, without a healthy amount of structure, children raised by permissive parents are more likely to struggle with self-regulation (aka. the skill set that makes turning down a second red velvet cupcake easy-peasy).

So practice balancing your big heart with a bit of tough love and scheduling self-care into your jam-packed schedule. Trust me, your kids will thank you in the long term.

When it comes to your children, you take a laissez faire approach. You encourage them to make their own decisions and fend for themselves in the world — how else are they going to learn... right?

You’re not one to set strict rules. You likely have a curfew and a couple other basic behavioral expectations, but they are rarely enforced. You may operate on more of a need-to-know basis (aka. unless it’s an emergency, you don’t need to know).

Sometimes you wonder why your children don’t communicate openly with you. But it might just be that they feel you’re uninterested or don’t have enough time and energy to hear them out.

I see you friend, you are busy — you juggle a hundred and one things, and sometimes it’s overwhelming. But it’s important that your children don’t feel like they’re the last item on your mile-long to-do list...

So try getting a little more involved in their lives by showing-up for basketball tournaments and piano recitals. Your small demonstrations of love and pride will pay off big in the long term.

When it comes to raising resourceful, respectful kids, you ace the grade. You know how to strike a balance between being an authoritarian — not the scary dictatorial type — and a best friend.

Your household has rules and behavioral expectations, but you don’t bank on your children following them blindly. Instead, you explain why they are important guidelines to follow.

When a rule is broken, you administer fair and consistent discipline. You might ask your children why they acted out, which communicates to them that you are there through thick and thin.

It’s important to you that your children feel like valuable members of the family. You throw idioms like ‘children should be seen and not heard’ out the window and encourage your kids to speak their minds.

On top of that, you serve up a whole lot of nurturing warmth. You’re basically the full package. Even so, managing your time can be a bit of a challenge… That’s where I can help.

When it comes to your children, it’s your way or the highway... You push them to perform bigger and brighter than their peers. You want the best, and anything less is unacceptable.

While your high behavioral expectations come from a place of genuine love and concern — after all, you only want your children to achieve their full potential — sometimes they might come off a bit strong.

You lay down your household laws with an iron fist — ifs, ands, and buts are banned. On top of that, whether through time-outs or revoking their privileges, you aren’t afraid to punish your kids.

Communication tends to be a bit one-sided. It’s mostly you, as the parent, talking to your children. You might feel it isn't necessary to explain certain rules to them or ask their perspectives on family matters.

Here’s the thing though, children raised by overly authoritarian parents often end up with low self-esteem and high rates of anxiety, so consider softening your approach for long term success!