Prevalence of parenting styles during the early childhood years: Does parents’ socioeconomic status matter?

Abstract

This paper explores the prevalence of parenting styles during early
childhood in Bhutan. The study included 433 parents, selected through
purposive sampling. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire, and
statistical techniques like descriptive analysis and one-way ANOVA were
employed. The findings revealed that the most prevalent parenting style
was authoritative, but aspects of authoritarian and permissive styles were
also present. Furthermore, significant differences in parenting styles were
observed based on parents' socio-economic status. Authoritative parenting
varied based on education qualification, while it did not differ by income
and marital status. The authoritarian style differed based on both education
qualification and income level, but not marital status. Permissive parenting
did not show significant differences based on these factors. These results
contribute to understanding parenting practices in Bhutan, highlighting the
dominance of authoritative parenting known to promote positive
cognitive, emotional, and social development in children. The findings
emphasize the importance of considering contextual influences when
designing interventions and support systems to encourage healthy
parenting practices.