The Good News Is...

The Institute for Family Studies-Gallup recently released a new study on liberal vs. conservative parenting and their children. The headlines were interesting. The Washington Examiner led with, "Children with liberal parents more likely to suffer mental health problems: "Study: Children who grow up in politically liberal households are more likely to suffer mental health problems than their conservative peers, according to a new study.”

An Institute for Family Studies-Gallup report found that "political ideology is one of the strongest predictors" of which caregiving styles a parent adopts, and conservative parents are associated with the best mental health outcomes for their children.

The Carolina Journal headline is, "Report: Conservative parents more likely to raise mentally healthy teens." These are very different headlines for the same report. What are the differences between the parenting styles? The Carolina Journal notes:
The IFS/Gallup report found that “the most important factor in the mental health of adolescent children is the quality of the relationship with their caregivers.” The key driver is parents who have an “authoritative” style that combines “affection and attentiveness to children’s needs with structure and requirements for pro-social, responsible behavior.”

In contrast, liberal parents are more likely to have a permissive parenting style and “are the least likely to successfully discipline their children.”

“[C]onservative parents enjoy higher quality relationships with their children, characterized by fewer arguments, more warmth, and a stronger bond, according to both parent and child reporting,” the report concluded.

In other words, better parenting includes discipline, love, communication and expectations of good behavior on the part of the child. Hmm, sounds biblical to me.

https://mailchi.mp/b6d0f0b91bac/the-reason-for-the-season?e=169825fd77