Responsible Parenthood

Meaning of Responsible Parenthood

A responsible parenthood is simply defined as the ‘’will’’ and ability of parents to respect and do the needs and aspirations of the family and children.

It is the ability of a parent to detect the need, happiness, and desire of the children and helping them to become responsible and reasonable children. It is the ability of the parent to meet and cater for the needs of the family and children according to his or her capability.

The Family

Types of Parenthood

•Authoritative Parenting Style: This is the most desirable parenting style. It allows children to express themselves, while parents still retain authority and control.

•Authoritarian Parenting Style: Authoritarian parents are strict and very demanding; the feeling, opinion of the child doesn’t matter when decisions concerning him/her are to be made.

•Carefree Parenting Style: There is no form of any attachment or affectionate practices between the children and the parents. Perhaps because of the busy schedule and work demand, carefree parents rarely stay at home or have time for their children. 

•Permissive Parenting Style: Permissive parents are lenient and allow considerable self-regulation. Usually, permissive parenting results from parents who try to compensate for what they themselves lacked as children.

Patterns of Responsible Parenthood

The qualities and characteristics of responsible parenthood include the following:

•Marriage to the right partner: The first process that will lead a person to be responsible is to marry the right person. Marrying the right person will help both to become responsible and help to prevent future disputes.

•Ability to provide: The parents should be able to provide their family’s material, physical, emotional and physiological needs in order to avoid the children from going into the wrong hands because of their needs.

•Adoption of peaceful strategies: Responsible parenthood should adopt peaceful strategies like family viewing, going to the cinemas together as a  

•family, family exercise, etc.

•Emotional adjustment ability: A responsible parent should be able to detect when the parents and children are emotionally unbalanced and know how to control either of the above in order to prevent the uprising of disputes in the family.

•Adoption of family planning, sound knowledge of childbearing: Responsible parenthood requires the parent to consider their financial capability and plan on the number of children to give birth to so that they will be able to cater for them.