Snowplow parenting, also called lawnmower parenting or bulldozer parenting, is a parenting style that seeks to remove all obstacles from a child's path so they don't experience pain, failure, or discomfort.
What's a bulldozer parent? Bulldozers go above and beyond to remove any and all adversity from their children's lives. These are the parents bargaining with teachers for higher grades, mowing down any obstacle their child may come across.
The dolphin parent is ... authoritative in nature. Like the body of the dolphin, they are firm yet flexible. Dolphin parents have rules and expectations but also value creativity and independence. They are collaborative and use guiding and role modelling to raise their kids.
The four main parenting styles — permissive, authoritative, neglectful and authoritarian — used in child psychology today are based on the work of Diana Baumrind, a developmental psychologist, and Stanford researchers Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin.
Permissive or 'jellyfish' parenting places few rules or demands on kids and parents seldom follow through on consequences when children do not follow the rules. This parenting approach often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation.
Named after the machine used for cutting grass, a lawnmower parent will “mow down” any obstacle their child might experience. According to a professor who coined the term in a blog post, lawnmower parents “rush ahead to intervene, saving the child from any potential inconvenience, problem, or discomfort".
A bulldozer style of parenting, while terribly well-intentioned and meant to “protect” the child from short-term harm, ultimately results in a psychologically fragile child, fearful and avoidant of failure, with never-learned coping strategies and poor resilience.
Authoritarian Parenting
Mistakes usually lead to punishment. Authoritarian parents are normally less nurturing and have high expectations with limited flexibility. Children that grow up with authoritarian parents will usually be the most well-behaved in the room because of the consequences of misbehaving.
Similar to the helicopter and lawn-mower parents before them, jackhammer parents scrutinize both their children's opportunities and challenges, intervening in schooling, grades and friendships.
Lighthouse parenting means letting your kid be a kid, with all of the mistakes, failures and successes that come with childhood. Raise your child to be a successful 35-year-old by looking beyond immediate goals and focusing on the kind of person you hope your child will become.
Butterfly parenting is also allowing your child to spread their own wings, even if it's in a different direction than you would have hoped for them.
According to Yahoo!, panda parenting is all about “gently guiding your little one, as opposed to shoving them down the parenting path”. In other words, a panda parent is one who gives their kids the freedom to do things their own way.
The dolphin parent is the balance of these two extremes and is authoritative in nature. Like the body of the dolphin, these parents are firm yet flexible. Dolphin parents have rules and expectations but also value creativity and independence. They are collaborative and use guiding and role modeling to raise their kids.
A New York Times blog describes velcro parents as parents who cannot let go of their children. They are super-involved in their children's lives. The problem with this approach to parenting is that their children will take forever to learn how to cope with the tough decisions and situations which life puts in our path.
Koala parenting promotes a close attachment between parents and their children from birth. More formally known as attachment parenting, the name koala parenting comes from the idea that parents who practice attachment parenting frequently hold their child, similar to how mother koalas hold onto their children.
French parenting makes time for their families throughout the week and weekends. During the week, evening meal times are at the heart of quality family time. The French sit down together for a home-made dinner (no matter how simple), put the screens away and focus on one another.
The 4C's are principles for parenting (Care, Consistency, Choices, and Consequences) that help satisfy childrens' psychological, physical, social, and intellectual needs and lay solid foundations for mental well-being.
"Almond moms" typically take pride in eating a restrictive diet. These parents may focus heavily on "clean eating" and steer their own children away from birthday cake and pizza at parties. They may also have strict exercise regimens and a narrower view of which foods are "healthy" than many other parents do.
Dragon mothers are mothers who grieve for children who have died or are terminally ill. Judy Bolton-Fasman, Contributor.
Last post, I defined “umbrella parents” as parents who have to do what it takes to get their child's needs served, even if it means looking like a 'smother mother' to other parents.
An elephant parenting style is flexible, it allows children to reach out for help, and depend on their parents for comfort whilst young. Elephant parents allow children to be children and seek happiness rather than academic success. This parenting style is filled with warmth, encouragement and protection.
Snowplow parenting, also called lawnmower parenting or bulldozer parenting, is a parenting style that seeks to remove all obstacles from a child's path so they don't experience pain, failure, or discomfort.
But have you ever heard of unicorn mom? Urban Dictionary, the online home for slang words and phrases, defines unicorn mom as: "a mother who's not perfect, enjoys alcohol, has a sense of humor and couldn't care less what you think."
The parenting style that is best for children is the supportive style. It's a style where you are warm and loving and you're affectionate but you also create structure and boundaries for your children, and you guide their behaviour.