Baumind Philosophies

The idea of ​​parenting styles did not become popular until paradigm shifts in parenting occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, probably due to changes in global behaviors between World War I and World War II. And it was thanks to the research of developmental psychologist Diana Baumind, who conducted her studies on parenting in the 1960s, that basic parenting styles emerged. Dr. Baumind’s own predisposition was that of the authoritarian parenting style that she described at the time as a compromise between the authoritarian parenting style that was prevalent before World War II and the permissive parenting style that emerged soon after. The authoritarian parenting style, as she defined it, was an attempt to balance the needs of social obligations towards family and society and the needs of the individual child.

Baumind’s authoritarian parenting style was based on parents having clear standards for their children’s behavior without being intrusive or restrictive. Discipline should be supportive and non-punitive so that children can develop to be socially responsible, self-disciplined, and cooperative. A uniform course had to be met between social demands and individual needs.

Social demands, according to Baumind, included the following factors:

• A high level of civilized social behavior is to be expected of children.
• Conflicts are handled with firm control so parents have the last word
• There are certain demands and orders that the child must comply with, such as housework.
• Punishment is handled by temporarily removing privileges and should not involve beatings, withdrawal of love, or induction of guilt.

Regarding the individual needs of the children, Baumind included the following factors:

• A child’s interests and needs can be met as long as they do not interfere with social demands.
• Social demands will always be adapted to the age and stage of development of the child.
• Parents always explain the reasons for the rules and policies and encourage children to ask questions about those rules and participate in family discussions.

Parental control played an important role in Baumind’s philosophies towards different styles and in establishing a balance between social obligations and individual needs. She decided that a high level of control was necessary, but that it should be done in a warm and loving way so as not to have any detrimental effect on the child. It is not so much the control itself, but the way it is executed that is important.