Another interesting tidbit from our Love and Logic course is a group of three types of parents to consider:

Helicopter – This type of parent hovers over their children like a helicopter. They search for any possible threat and eagerly swoop in to rescue them at the first hint of danger, problems, negative feelings, or risk of failure. They tend to assume ownership of their children’s problems and to protect their children from natural consequences of their actions.

Drill Sergeant – As the name implies, this type of parent “commands and directs the lives” of their children with numerous demands, harsh words, and threats. They tend to tell their children how to feel and how to act in a given situation, work in absolutes, and use lots of words with few actions.

Consultant – This type of parent provides guidance regarding choices and their consequences, seeking to empower their children to make their own decisions and solve their own problems. They model desired behavior, preferring to use actions to teach rather than lots of words. They are willing to let their children fail in order to learn. One of the Consultant’s goals is to give their children a positive self-worth through life experience.

As you’ve probably guessed, Love and Logic favors the Consultant style of parenting. Although at first it might sound like coddling that will give kids an overinflated ego, to me it’s the best of the three. It always keeps in mind the child’s eventual departure from the nest and seeks to prepare them for independence.

Which of the three approaches, if any, reminds you of your parents? If you have children, which approach best matches your own thoughts? Is there another style besides these three?