As anyone who’s spent five minutes on a playground can probably tell you, there are innumerable ways to raise children. On The Parent Test, 12 families with very different approaches to child-rearing try to find “today’s best parenting style.” The contenders are…
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Disciplined
Andrea McCoy is a firm believer in clear, rigid boundaries and, when necessary, uses strict punishment in raising her daughter. If a door (hypothetically) got slammed in her face, for example, the door gets removed until further notice.
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Traditional
The Yadegars firmly believe that, for a family to be successful, mom and dad come first and that children had better be fully on board. (Though that’s not to say they don’t believe in family bonding and fun.)
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Intensive
The Leongs have a rigorous academic and extracurricular schedule for their 6-year-old scholar/painter/musician daughter (already a member of MENSA); there is “no excuse” for taking a day off from study and practice.
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Natural
The Webbs, on the other hand, let their children set the tone, encouraging them to try new things, but wary of putting too much stress on them. They place a premium on rural living and family time.
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Child-Led
The Sarinases similarly let their child lead how they parent in an effort to build security and self esteem.
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New Age
The Wynns hope to raise empowered children by remaining flexible and letting their kids explore the world, even when it means doing something potentially dangerous (in a safe way) or not doing something they don’t want to do.
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Routine
The Maghen-Dekels family relies on reliable structure to raise their two children. Days are regimented and predictable from wake-up to bedtime, but they also put an emphasis on validating feelings and encouraging their boys.
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High Achievement
Dennis Williams, a single dad, is determined that his son will be “the personification of Black excellence” through intensive study and athleticism. He believes it’s the duty of a parent to push kids out of their comfort zone when necessary.
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Helicopter
Helicopter parenting gets a lot of criticism, but it’s a term the Lafonds embrace for the safety and well being of their children.
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Free Range
The Day family puts a premium on freedom and self-expression for their children, letting them decide how they move through the world. They let their children show them what they need.
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Strict
This style is exactly what it sounds like: the Mills are regimented and have high expectations for their children. Disobedience might be met with firm discipline, including spanking.
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Negotiation
The Ng family believes in validating a child’s feelings while encouraging them to look beyond them in order to grow and thrive.
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Throughout the series, we’ll see how different parenting styles approach challenges in order to have deep discussions about raising children in a world with so many different parenting philosophies.
