Every parent views child rearing differently. There are hundreds of factors that can play into the rearing of your child. Some factors can include the gender of the child, religion, the child's demeanor and the socioeconomic status of the family. Some parents do not like physical punishment and may choose to discipline their children in other nonphysical ways. In contrast, other parents believe in corporal punishment and may rely solely on it to discipline their child.
Gender Neutral
Many parents are seeing the benefits of rearing a child in the gender neutral method. Traditionally, many American boys and girls have been raised differently. Some parents may have a different set of rules for male children than for female children. For example, girls may be expected to play with dolls and not with trucks and cars or to play football. Girls are taught that they should be pretty, and as they grow older, they are taught that being thin is important so they can attract a husband. The same is true for male children who are taught to play with male toys and are frowned at when they want to play with dolls. Boys are encouraged to play sports and be athletic.
According to the University of Augusta, these damaging results of traditional, sexist child rearing methods can be seen in many of today's adults. These adults are risking their health in an attempt to conform to the beauty standards with which they were raised. Raising children (both girls and boys) in a more gender neutral way and letting them explore both female and male roles is important for the parents who want their child to be well balanced.
Evangelical
Evangelical people have a somewhat different view on child rearing than parents who are not religious. One of the main views of the evangelical view is that children have a willfulness that needs to be shaped, and this shaping is done through corporal punishment of the child. Preferably children are punished by spanking. However, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, studies and research on corporal punishment in evangelical homes show that corporal punishment may actually insulate children from the negative effects of discipline. In addition, evangelical parents are usually caring and show a great deal of affection to their children. This can help to counterbalance the use of corporal punishment. Parents are also encouraged to be involved with their children's lives and to do things as a family unit in order to build closeness as a family.
Child Guidance/ Positive Discipline
Some parents try to raise their children in a more relaxed and less structured way. These parents believe that the child should be allowed to explore their surroundings and make their own schedules. The parents see themselves as guiding the child through life; however, according to the University of Missouri, the effective guidance and discipline of the child should focus on the development of the child. These parents are less likely to use physical punishment when the child misbehaves. Instead, they may try to use positive discipline and have a defined set of rules laid out for the child so the child understands what they have done wrong. This method pushes communication with their child and encourages parents to think before they act so they can ensure they will not damage their child.
References
- Augusta State University; Growing Up Free: Non-Sexist Child Rearing; Susan Stockton; 2010;
- Hartford Institute for Religion Research; Conservative Protestant Child Discipline: Authority in and Affection in Evangelical Homes; John P. Bartowski, W. Bradford Wilcox, & Christopher G. Ellison; 2010;
- University of Missouri; Positive Discipline and Child Guidance; Ibtitsam S. Barakat, & Janet Clark; 2010;
