PARENTING is one of the hardest jobs in the world. When we become parents, we are suddenly responsible for helping shape another human being — how they see themselves, how they treat others, and eventually how they face the world. Yet most of us begin this enormous responsibility with no training at all.

There is no single formula for good parenting. Every child is different. Even newborn babies have different temperaments: some are calm, while others are difficult to settle. Genetics plays a role, as does the environment in which a child grows. Parents and family have an enormous influence, but as children grow, teachers, friends, school, social media, and life experiences increasingly shape who they become. It would be unfair to blame parents alone when a teenager develops mental health or behavioural problems, becomes violent, uses drugs or takes other dangerous paths. Nevertheless, positive parenting can have a powerful influence.

Research on parenting styles broadly describes four approaches: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and neglectful. Authoritative parenting is characterised by warmth, support and structure while fostering autonomy. These parents give teenagers enough independence to make decisions with........

© Dawn