Does Kind Parenting Always Spoil the Kid?

Majority of people firmly believe in strict upbringing. Meetville.com (dating app to find the right person) addressed the topic in a poll, conducted from 11/13/14 to 2/5/15.

People were asked: “Should parents indulge a child's caprices?” Only 39% of those polled are ready to pamper their kids and to fulfil every their wish.

A style of upbringing has a deep effect on the child’s brain. It’s, actually, one of the greatest influences on a kid’s well-being in future. So the topic shouldn’t be taken lightly. Though many people consider strict upbringing to be more effective, columnist Sumit Passary disagrees: “Strict parenting, or tiger mom type of parenting, can lead to problem behavior and low self-esteem in children. Parents should understand the importance of expression of love and praise for better upbringing of their children.”

Authoritarian, strict and demanding parenting is the reason for low self-esteem and school adjustment difficulties. This type of upbringing leaves children vulnerable to depression and problem behaviors. Cixin Wang, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Educatiion, believes that parents’ support and monitoring leads to a positive adolescent adjustment, unlike psychological control techniques.

Alex Cusper, Meetville service analyst, assumes that parents shouldn’t be choosing between the extremes. The best way out is to use the benefits of both and avoid the problems of the two styles which means finding the perfect balance for your family.

Meetville, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. You can find the results of the poll here. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.