It was thought that being gruff with children would teach them discipline and respect, better preparing them for the real world. According to recent research, however, being raised with a rigid parenting style has been linked to both obesity and “risky behavior.” The article, Rigid Parenting Style Linked to Obese Kids by Maureen Salamon, explains empirically how rearing techniques affect the health of children. According to the research, “...obesity rates were about one-third higher in children up to age 11 whose parents used a so-called ‘authoritarian’ parenting style, marked by inflexibility over rules and a lack of emotional responsiveness.” She went on to say that, “In a group of more than 37,000 children, these kids were significantly heavier compared to those whose ‘authoritative’ parents were generally affectionate, willing to discuss behavior limits and set healthy boundaries” (Salamon). This suggests that if parents use the authoritative style of parenting to raise their children, they give them a better chance of success in life. If parents instead are …show more content…
The article Poor Parenting Styles Linked to Bullying Behavior in Kids, by Robert Preidt, explores the fact that “‘Children need support but some parents try to buffer their children from all negative experiences,’” and explains how “‘In the process, they prevent their children from learning ways of dealing with bullies and make them more vulnerable’” (Preidt). Children who are shielded from every potentially harmful circumstance will never learn to fend for themselves. That fact is supported by research, and the reason for it is that shielded children are blindsided by something like a bully, for example, when their parents aren’t there to defend them. Overly protected children don’t know how to function independently, and are unprepared to cope with challenging situations.. What this demonstrates is that even if parents defend their children early in life, they’re hindering them down the line. As would be expected “the review also found that negative or harsh parenting was associated with a moderate increase in the risk of children being bully-victims and a small increase in their risk of being a victim of bullying.” Authoritative, or “Warm but firm parenting reduced children 's risk of being bullied, the investigators noted” (Preidt). While a child shouldn’t be defended from every little thing, being critical and coarse will also negatively impact him or her. If a child is bullied at home, they are