The "right" way to parent

I believe there is a right way to parent children. That is to be respected, trusted, and having clear boundaries that can be negotiable. There are 3 different types of parenting:

1. Authoritarian: approach is to maximize control and to expect unquestioning obedience
2. Authoritative: approach is to put boundaries on acceptable behavior within a warm, accepting context
3. Permissive: approach is to minimize any control

Authoritarian and Permissive parenting deals more with the parents. Authoritarian parents are more dictators while permissive parents want to be their child's best friend. Some examples of authoritarian and permissive parenting are found in movies: Willi Wonka and Brave. 

I believe Authoritative parenting is the "right" way to parent. Parents listen to their children and correct them in a loving, yet, sometimes firm, manner. The parents are trusted and, at times, relied on by their children. An example of this style of parenting is from the TV show Full House. 

My professor Michael Williams said that, "Many parents think of how to get their child to behave a certain way rather than how to parent them a certain way". This is so true. At the end of the Willi Wonka YouTube clip, the mother says, "Happiness is what counts with children; happiness and harmony". Though this may be true at times, this shouldn't be how we raise our children. We should have rules, or guidelines, that our children should follow so that we can teach them different life lessons. We should also be understanding of our children so that we can listen and correct them when necessary and earn their trust.