There is no one right way to bring up children; however, Diana Baumrind categorized parental relationships with children into four basic styles:

1. Authoritarian Parents: Demanding conduct that meets absolute standards, stressing obedience and using harsh punishments to ensure compliance, authoritarian parents exhibit a high degree of control and little warmth. Children of authoritarian parents are irritable, aggressive and dependent. They often have a limited sense of responsibility, low levels of esteem and poor academic achievement. Parents who consistently use punitive, repressive methods are likely to produce children who are socially withdrawn, hostile and rebellious.

2. Authoritative Parents: Displaying rational control, warmth and responsiveness and promoting independence, authoritative parents set clear rules and high standards, meanwhile explaining their rationales for decisions and encouraging discussion with their children. Children of authoritative parents are assertive, self-confident, socially responsible and achievement oriented. They often earn high grades in school.

3. Indulgent-Permissive Parents: Indulgent-permissive parents are warm and caring but provide little control, make few demands and are non-punitive. Their children are often impulsive, self-centered, easily frustrated and low in achievement and independence.

4. Indulgent-Uninvolved Parents: Displaying low levels of warmth and control, indulgent-uninvolved parents minimize the time and effort expended upon their children. Children of indulgent-uninvolved parents have low levels of self-esteem and are often impulsive, moody, aggressive, delinquent and rebellious.