How Uninvolved Parenting Can Shape a Child's Future

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCharacteristicsExamplesCausesEffectsHow to Cope

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Table of Contents

Characteristics

Examples

Causes

Effects

How to Cope

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This style stems from the work of developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind. During the 1960s, she described threeparenting stylesbased on her research with preschool-age children:authoritarian,authoritative, andpermissive. In later years, researchers added uninvolved parenting.

Uninvolved parenting often flies under the radar compared to other styles because it involves fewer overt behaviors than styles like authoritarian or helicopter parenting. However, that doesn’t mean that uninvolved parenting is any less harmful. The minimal involvement andemotional detachmentcharacteristic of this style can seriously affect a child’sself-esteem, social functioning, academic success, and ability to formhealthy relationshipsin the future.

Characteristics of Uninvolved Parenting

Baumrind characterized her parenting styles in terms of two key dimensions: parental responsiveness and parental demandingness. People with an uninvolved parenting style are low on both of these dimensions.

They do not respond well to the needs of their children and provide littleaffection, support, or love. They also make very few demands on their children. They rarely set rules and do not offer guidance or expectations for behavior.

Common Patterns of Behavior for Uninvolved Parents

Free-Range vs. Uninvolved Parents

It is important to note that uninvolved parenting is not the same as free-range parenting. Where uninvolved parents have no interest in their children’s lives, free-range parents are loving and attentive but give their kids plenty of freedom to experience the natural consequences of their actions.

Busy Parents

It is also important to note that just because a parent is busy with work or other obligations does not mean they are uninvolved. Intent and caring matter.

While parents may work a lot of hours, they are not uninvolved if they spend the free time they have with their kids and make sure their children are cared for when they cannot be with them.

What’s Your Parenting Style?

This fast and freeparenting styles quizcan help you analyze the methods you’re using to parent your kids and whether or not it may be a good idea to learn some new parenting behaviors:

Examples of Uninvolved Parenting

Uninvolved parents have little emotional involvement with their kids. While they provide for basic needs like food and shelter, they are, for the most part, uninvolved in their children’s lives. The exact degree of involvement may vary considerably.

Examples of the uninvolved parenting style include:Ignoring their child when they are upset or cryingExpecting their children to care for themselvesNot respecting a child’s interestsFailing to provide adequate supervision for a child

Examples of the uninvolved parenting style include:

Some uninvolved parents may be relatively hands-off with their kids but may still have some basic limits, such as curfews. Others may be downright neglectful or even reject their children outright. Kids might be given the bare minimum they need for survival, such as shelter, nourishment, and clothing, yet little or nothing in the way of guidance or affection.

Causes of Uninvolved Parenting

It is important to note that uninvolved parenting is often not intentional. It may arise for a number of different reasons, including things like parental experience andstress.

In some cases, parents may be so wrapped up in their own problems (i.e., being overworked, coping with depression, struggling with substance abuse) that they actually fail to see how uninvolved they are with their children or are simply unable to provide the emotional support their children need.

Effects of Uninvolved Parenting

Researchers associate parenting styles with a range of child outcomes in areas such as social skills and academic performance.The children of uninvolved parents generally perform poorly in nearly every area of life. These children tend to display deficits in cognition,attachment, emotional skills, and social skills.

The complete lack ofboundariesin the home makes it difficult to learn appropriate behaviors and limits in school and other social situations, which is why children with uninvolved parents are more likely to misbehave.

What are the effects of uninvolved parents?Children with uninvolved parents may:Be anxious or stressed due to the lack of family supportBe motionally withdrawnFear becoming dependent on other peopleHave an increased risk of substance abuseHave to learn to provide for themselvesExhibit more delinquency during adolescence

What are the effects of uninvolved parents?

Children with uninvolved parents may:Be anxious or stressed due to the lack of family supportBe motionally withdrawnFear becoming dependent on other peopleHave an increased risk of substance abuseHave to learn to provide for themselvesExhibit more delinquency during adolescence

Children with uninvolved parents may:

Parental Phubbing Leaves Kids Feeling Ignored and May Increase Depression

Coping With an Uninvolved Parenting Style

If you recognize that you have been an uninvolved parent, you may findfamily therapyhelpful. A therapist can help you identify strategies that will helpform closer connections, deeper bonds, and better responsiveness within your family unit.

Takeaways

It is clear from looking at the consequences of this type of child-rearing that the uninvolved parenting style is far from ideal. In order to raise confident children who are emotionally healthy and resilient, children need support, warmth, love, appropriate discipline, structure, and guidance from adults that they trust.

What Is Dysfunctional Behavior in Families?

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuppens S, Ceulemans E.Parenting styles: A closer look at a well-known concept.J Child Fam Stud. 2019;28(1):168-181. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1242-xZahed Zahedani Z, Rezaee R, Yazdani Z, Bagheri S, Nabeiei P.The influence of parenting style on academic achievement and career path.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2016;4(3):130-134.Hoenicka MAK, López-de-la-Nieta O, Martínez Rubio JL, et al.Parental bonding in retrospect and adult attachment style: A comparative study between Spanish, Italian and Japanese cultures.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278185. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278185Hoffmann JP, Bahr SJ.Parenting style, religiosity, peer alcohol use, and adolescent heavy drinking.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2014;75(2):222-7. doi:10.15288/jsad.2014.75.222Hoskins D.Consequences of parenting on adolescent outcomes.Societies. 2014;4(3):506-531. doi:10.3390/soc4030506Rincón P, Cova F, Saldivia S, et al.Effectiveness of a positive parental practices training program for Chilean preschoolers' families: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1751. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01751

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kuppens S, Ceulemans E.Parenting styles: A closer look at a well-known concept.J Child Fam Stud. 2019;28(1):168-181. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1242-xZahed Zahedani Z, Rezaee R, Yazdani Z, Bagheri S, Nabeiei P.The influence of parenting style on academic achievement and career path.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2016;4(3):130-134.Hoenicka MAK, López-de-la-Nieta O, Martínez Rubio JL, et al.Parental bonding in retrospect and adult attachment style: A comparative study between Spanish, Italian and Japanese cultures.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278185. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278185Hoffmann JP, Bahr SJ.Parenting style, religiosity, peer alcohol use, and adolescent heavy drinking.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2014;75(2):222-7. doi:10.15288/jsad.2014.75.222Hoskins D.Consequences of parenting on adolescent outcomes.Societies. 2014;4(3):506-531. doi:10.3390/soc4030506Rincón P, Cova F, Saldivia S, et al.Effectiveness of a positive parental practices training program for Chilean preschoolers' families: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1751. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01751

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Kuppens S, Ceulemans E.Parenting styles: A closer look at a well-known concept.J Child Fam Stud. 2019;28(1):168-181. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1242-xZahed Zahedani Z, Rezaee R, Yazdani Z, Bagheri S, Nabeiei P.The influence of parenting style on academic achievement and career path.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2016;4(3):130-134.Hoenicka MAK, López-de-la-Nieta O, Martínez Rubio JL, et al.Parental bonding in retrospect and adult attachment style: A comparative study between Spanish, Italian and Japanese cultures.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278185. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278185Hoffmann JP, Bahr SJ.Parenting style, religiosity, peer alcohol use, and adolescent heavy drinking.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2014;75(2):222-7. doi:10.15288/jsad.2014.75.222Hoskins D.Consequences of parenting on adolescent outcomes.Societies. 2014;4(3):506-531. doi:10.3390/soc4030506Rincón P, Cova F, Saldivia S, et al.Effectiveness of a positive parental practices training program for Chilean preschoolers' families: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1751. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01751

Kuppens S, Ceulemans E.Parenting styles: A closer look at a well-known concept.J Child Fam Stud. 2019;28(1):168-181. doi:10.1007/s10826-018-1242-x

Zahed Zahedani Z, Rezaee R, Yazdani Z, Bagheri S, Nabeiei P.The influence of parenting style on academic achievement and career path.J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2016;4(3):130-134.

Hoenicka MAK, López-de-la-Nieta O, Martínez Rubio JL, et al.Parental bonding in retrospect and adult attachment style: A comparative study between Spanish, Italian and Japanese cultures.PLoS One. 2022;17(12):e0278185. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278185

Hoffmann JP, Bahr SJ.Parenting style, religiosity, peer alcohol use, and adolescent heavy drinking.J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2014;75(2):222-7. doi:10.15288/jsad.2014.75.222

Hoskins D.Consequences of parenting on adolescent outcomes.Societies. 2014;4(3):506-531. doi:10.3390/soc4030506

Rincón P, Cova F, Saldivia S, et al.Effectiveness of a positive parental practices training program for Chilean preschoolers' families: a randomized controlled trial.Front Psychol. 2018;9:1751. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01751

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