9 Different Parenting Types And How Different Parenting Styles Can Impact Children

OK, so you've probably heard of helicopter parenting, but that's where this journey begins. About half a century after parenting became an industry in its own right, with professionals offering advice on how to bring up a child, came the birth of the term "helicopter parenting."

Helicopter parents hover over their children and are overly concerned with their day-to-day lives. Many times, this style of parenting seems well-intentioned until children reach an age where they should start being more independent. Think of parents who help kids talk to their college professors or make them doctor appointments.

While helicopter parents are almost always well-intentioned, their actions can impact a kid's self-esteem later in life. These children may think themselves incompetent for always needing someone to step in and help them. They may also lag behind peers with basic life skills because they are used to having their needs taken care of.

If you're concerned you may have some helicopter parenting tendencies, think of ways you can ease your child into independence at a pace that feels comfortable and appropriate to you both.

Contrary to popular belief, free-range parents don't just let their kids do whatever. The goal is to increase independence in kids by having them face challenges firsthand. Parents are still very much involved as educators and support systems, but they only step in to implement consequences when natural ones don't exist or fall short.

Free-range parenting aims to increase confidence and independence, but there can be cons as well. In some states, a certain degree of independence for your children is seen as neglect or abuse. Some people also believe kids growing up with free-range parents are more at risk of abduction or assault, as people don't have the same sense of community now than they did when this parenting style came to be.

Consider the places you can increase your children's independence. Work on finding comfortable ways for them to experience the natural consequences of their actions.

Snowplow parents are like next-level versions of helicopter parents. They don't just hover. They're there to unapologetically push past any obstacles that might stand in the way of their kids. This type of parenting was discussed during the college admissions scandal as a representation of the involved parents' behavior.

Snowplow parents believe they're providing the best for their kids by giving them little advantages over the years. Over time, this adds up to the kids lacking the skills needed to make it on their own. A New York Times piece on snowplow parenting discusses one girl who dropped out of college and came home. Her reason?

"One didn’t like to eat food with sauce. Her whole life, her parents had helped her avoid sauce, calling friends before going to their houses for dinner. At college, she didn’t know how to cope with the cafeteria options — covered in sauce," it detailed.

Lawnmower parents are somewhere between helicopter parents and snowplow parents. They will certainly do what they can to keep their child from feeling discomfort, but they do so in a way that is less confrontational and many times less consequential.

This is often seen in parents who have kids dealing with anxiety, depression, or other social struggles. These parents believe they're just helping their kids, but what they're doing is not arming them with the skills they need to get through certain experiences they might face. Rather, they allow them to bypass the experiences altogether.

In trying to protect their kids, lawnmower parents rob them of the ability to form healthy coping mechanisms. There is certainly a time to go to bat for your children, as their first advocate in life. However, you have to be prepared to hand over the reins at a certain age and be there in only a morally supportive role.

Unicorn parents are not here for your judgment. These parents aren't trying to hold up a picture-perfect image of their home life. They don't mind saying that sometimes a hard day of parenting requires an adult beverage or a night out. This parenting style was born out of resistance to the mom shamers of the modern era.

Some parents warn that children don't have the life experience to wrap their brains around a unicorn parent. As a result, they could take a lack of parental involvement in some areas of life personally. They also may mistake the "I don't care what anyone thinks" attitude as a parent not caring what they think. It's important to know your children and address their sensitivities.

There's also the argument that unicorn parenting excuses selfishness that's supposed to subside a bit in parenting. This isn't to say becoming a parent means that becomes your only identity, but it should still be up there in your top five.

Tiger parenting prioritizes success over everything. You may see this in the parents who have their child eat, sleep, and breathe a sport from the time they're walking until they're determined to go pro. This is also seen a lot in schooling, where tiger parents will accept nothing less than perfection from their kids and forbid other activities and interests that may get in the way.

Tiger parents can still be warm and supportive, but they are driven by the goals they set for their kids. Sometimes, this can lead to highly successful children who find themselves lacking socially and take their own achievements for granted. The key to avoiding both of those is close attention to and nurturing of the parent-child bond.

Hummingbird parenting combines elements of free-range parenting and helicopter parenting. They aren't afraid to intervene, but only when they feel it's totally necessary. They're more likely to stay on the outskirts of their kids' lives, keeping a watchful eye.

Kids of hummingbird parents value teaching their kids independence but recognize there will be times they need to intervene for their safety. It's understanding and striking that balance that keeps them from falling into more extreme categories. Evaluation of that looks different at every stage of a child's life.

Instinctive parents believe we are hardwired to raise children. They aren't the ones consulting parenting books, blogs, and boards. Instead, they go with their gut, confident that they can always make a move in their child's best interest. Often, their guiding light is their own childhood experience.

The kids of instinctive parents are typically less daunted by taking steps toward independence. That being said, instinctive parenting can have all sorts of responses due to the varied basis — each parent's own upbringing. Clinging to those ideals for better or for worse may not be the best fit for every child.

Attachment parenting is often considered in the lens of very early childhood. Parents wear babies, co-sleep, and more to enhance physical proximity and, as many believe, emotional bonds. Attachment parenting often rejects modern parenting techniques and tips in favor of old-fashioned methods that many feel have worked for all of time.

Attachment parenting is believed to lead to more compassionate, empathetic children. As kids get older, attachment parenting can look a lot like a friendship between parent and child. Sometimes, children will take advantage of that bond, which can be very hurtful for the attachment parent who hails the quality of their relationship over everything else.

All of these parenting types have pros and cons. Many people don't fall squarely into one. It's not important what philosophy you choose to parent your child with, or what you might call it. What's important is that you do your best to ensure the relationship with your child is a genuine one, regardless of what that looks like.