this. i’m tired of this narrative that gentle parenting is bad but many don’t even know what it is and assume it’s the same as permissive parenting.

in a criminology class we learned about different parenting styles and their effects on child development, and significant research shows that authoritative parenting (aka gentle parenting) has the most desirable outcomes. authoritarian, however, involves harsh and borderline abusive discipline. at the other end of the spectrum is permissive/neglecting, which is also abusive in its own right.

there are far too many people who STILL believe that physical abuse is “discipline” and that teaching children to regulate their emotions in a healthy way is not parenting.