Authoritarian Parenting: What It Means, Examples & The 3 Other Parenting Styles

How you raise your children is a deeply personal thing—influenced by the world around you, your family structure, your particular set of circumstances, values, and so much more. Many parents, however, are often concerned or confused about whether they are making the right decisions for their kids: How will my parenting affect them in the long run? Well, this is usually where the four main parenting styles come into play.  

The four main parenting styles create a framework for how we evaluate and describe child-rearing decisions. But these styles are not stagnant—you can, for the most part, fall into one "type" while still exhibiting behaviors of the others. And cultural norms can play a major role in how these parenting styles are exhibited. What we're saying here is that while these may be distinct and differing styles, there is nuance. 

One parenting style to be aware of is authoritarian parenting—as it tends to present itself commonly in high-achieving families. And while there can be beneficial outcomes from this style, there are also many side effects to be made aware of. 

Authoritarian parenting, sometimes called disciplinarian parenting, is defined by the need for control, strict boundaries, and high expectations for children (and usually, for the parents, too). "Authoritarian parents have a rigid, controlling, 'my way or the highway' style of parenting," says licensed psychologist Nicole Beurkens, Ph.D., CNS. Essentially, the authoritarian parent rules the home like a, well, authoritarian. 

And as Aliza Pressman, Ph.D., co-founding director and director of clinical programming for the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, notes, "The authoritarian parent has high demands, but that's not the problem; the problem is there's low sensitivity." What she means by this is that setting boundaries and believing in your child's potential enough that you would set high demands is a powerful and important thing.

The potential issue is that some parents may not offer enough support—through emotional guidance, etc.—for their kids' needs. We should also note that every kid has different needs for both boundaries and sensitivity.

As for the children, this parenting style can have positive outcomes: Children tend to do well in school and overall are generally high achievers. The strict expectations set for them push them to perform well to appease their parents. 

However, this likely will have drawbacks: This can cause the child to feel an absence of control over their lives, lessened self-respect, a reliance on extrinsic motivation, and an undercurrent of stress. "The child has little to no say, which often leads them to feel more anxious," says Beurkens. They may even struggle to adapt to "the real world" once adults, as that relies on self-reliance, self-regulation, and often internal motivation.

So you know what authoritarian is, but how does that hold up to the other three? Let's have a debriefing on the theory: The concept of four distinct parenting styles was coined in the 1960s by psychologist Diana Baumrind, who studied preschool-age children and their behaviors. She then compared said behaviors with the interaction with the kids' parents: the adult's disciplinary strategies, how nurturing and caring they were in times of duress, how they communicated together, and expectations of maturity and control. 

What she found was four styles that she could separate and define, those being authoritative, uninvolved, permissive, and disciplinarian (also known as authoritarian). 

"What it comes down to is where the parent falls on the grid of sensitivity and expectations," says Pressman. "Sensitivity is about warmth and nurturing your child's needs and emotions; expectations are about instilling responsibility in your child and setting boundaries." 

If permissive parents need to learn to be a little bit more like authoritarian parents, then authoritarian parents need to be a bit more like permissive parents. Meaning, parents who exhibit this style of parenting likely need to learn how to be a bit more sensitive to their children. However, there are a lot of ways to do this—you can find one that feels right for you. 

One way is to put yourself in your kid's shoes, so, for example, if they are struggling in some way, think about why and what you'd like someone to do for you. This also holds true if the kid is asking for more freedom or leniency—for example, a teen asking for more autonomy. 

"Some of the key components are treating the child as the parent would want to be treated, including allowing for autonomy and choice; understanding that behavior is always rooted in some kind of need or underlying issue—and seeking to understand the child's perspective before making assumptions about their emotions or behavior," says Beurkens. "Giving children the freedom to make choices and learn from them; open communication; respect for all members of the family; problem-solving when challenges arise; addressing things in playful ways when appropriate."

You can also move away from leaning on punishment and instead rely on discipline. Punishment tends to be reactionary and usually doesn't come with guidance or context on why they are being punished (this is especially important for younger children who may not yet understand rules, self-regulation, or right from wrong).

See, discipline "is the range of ways a parent can interact with their children so that they can understand what is expected of them, have tools for problem-solving, and make good decisions about behavior," says Pressman. This is all about setting up a structure and context for your kid to succeed.

Essentially, discipline starts before the "bad behavior" is even expressed: You want to explain to your kids what you expect of them, why you expect them to act this way, what the "real-life" consequences are if they don't, and what sort of outcomes may be expected if the independent behavior is not met.