Parenting styles have evolved over the years in response to the rapid social changes. Whether it is tapping technology or applying the best parenting practices, parents nowadays generally invest more time in finding out how best to raise their child.
Modern parents have access to the internet and social media for ideal parenting advice and tips. There are also numerous parenting groups for different age groups on social media that parents can join. A parent can post questions from how to manage the constant cries of an infant to how to talk to a moody teenager, and chances are, the parent will be flooded instantly with advice and relevant articles. The availability of resources has helped modern parents to be more involved and supportive of their children’s development, academically, emotionally and socially. Modern parents are also keener to find out about effective parenting methods to raise disciplined and confident children.
Meanwhile, one of modern parenting styles, helicopter parenting, arises. When parents become over-involved, over-concerned and over-controlling, they start helping children with what they are capable of on their own, for example, selecting activities and friends for them. Such a parenting style can restrict the children’s ability to handle responsibilities independently. Children might be ill-equipped with life skills such as operating a stove or monitoring their schoolwork. Overprotecting children from failures may also be prevented from developing resilience (韧性) and acquiring skills like problem-solving.
On the other hand, parents in the past tended to supervise (监管) less. Children were given more control over how they managed their schoolwork and the friends they chose to play with. They were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger siblings and managing household chores. Living in the preinternet era, parents were less informed about different parenting approaches and personalities.
There is no one right way to raise a child and there is no need to doubt about the best parenting style. Each child is unique and should be raised differently by parents who are present, but not hovering (盘旋);who are supportive but not controlling; and who protect but not spoil.
【小题1】What does the author explain by mentioning “an infant” and “a moody teenager” in paragraph 2?| A．Devotion to kids. |
| B．Easy access to guidance. |
| C．Effective parenting. |
| D．Tricky parenting problems. |
| A．Its benefits. | B．Its influence. |
| C．Its characteristics. | D．Its type. |
| A．They had strengths and weaknesses in parenting. |
| B．They were wiser than modern parents in1 parenting. |
| C．They were to blame for child development prospect. |
| D．They contributed to the children’s well-rounded abilities. |
| A．To recommend how to parent wisely. |
| B．To appeal to learn from modern parents. |
| C．To inform how parenting has changed. |
| D．To introduce two parenting strategies. |
