How Parental Influence Affects Our Future!

In school, we always see the high achievers, and the ones who seem academically uninterested. Why could they be in the same environment, yet differ so much? A major part of this diversion is parenting. 

The birth of a child marks the beginning of a relationship between the child and its caregivers, who provide essential needs such as food, shelter, protection, and emotional support. As children grow, the quality of their interactions with caregivers influences the parenting style adopted and the strength of the bond between them.

The major parenting styles include authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting. Authoritarian parents are strict, demanding, and less responsive to their children’s needs, often raising children who are fearful, insecure, and dependent on others for decision-making. Authoritative parents balance discipline with warmth and support, raising children who are confident, disciplined, sociable, and respectful. Permissive parents place few restrictions on their children, increasing the likelihood of antisocial behaviour and poor social competence.

These parenting styles significantly influence children’s emotional, social, and academic development and shape their attachment to caregivers. Attachment is a deep emotional bond formed through interactions between children and caregivers and is essential for children’s safety, security, and psychological well-being.

Researchers have identified four attachment styles. Secure attached children use their caregivers as a source of support and security and tend to be socially competent, emotionally stable, and academically successful. Children with anxious-avoidant attachment often appear emotionally detached, inconsistent, and aggressive and usually have low self-esteem. Resistant children tend to be emotionally insecure and seek reassurance through emotional outbursts. Children with disorganized attachment lack a clear attachment pattern and may display antisocial behaviour, fearfulness, and emotional instability.

In general, positive parenting practices promote secure attachment, whereas ineffective parenting practices contribute to insecure attachment. These attachment patterns play an important role in children’s social competence and academic achievement, particularly during the early childhood years between the ages of three and five.

However, it remains uncertain whether these established attachment styles influence children’s behaviour in school, particularly their academic achievement and social competence. This study was therefore designed to examine the influence of children’s attachment styles on academic achievement and social competence during early childhood.

Results - The findings revealed that securely attached children performed better academically and socially because they were better able to focus, learn, and work independently or in groups. This may be attributed to the authoritative parenting style under which they were raised, which encouraged discipline, obedience, emotional stability, and flexibility. In contrast, insecure attached children performed less successfully, demonstrating lower academic achievement and a greater tendency towards aggressive, disruptive, and antisocial behaviour. These characteristics were associated with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles, which often contribute to poor self-control and difficulties in social interactions.

This is a collaborative piece. It was written by Abby Nolasco, edited by Kayleigh Pough and Edna Alemu, and researched by Kayleigh Pough.

Ekeh, P. (2012, December 6). Children"s attachment styles, academic achievement and social competence at Early childhood. African Research Review. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/afrrev/article/view/83616