What Is Extreme Parenting?

Types

• A number of parenting methods exist that have been labeled extreme, each with their own characteristics and desired outcomes. For instance, "tiger mom" is a term coined by Amy Chua, author of "The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," a parenting memoir outlining her strict parenting methods. Attachment parenting, where you raise your child in a close, nurturing bond and permissive parenting, where you allow your child to lead and make his own decisions are two methods on the opposite end of the spectrum. Another type of extreme parenting -- aptly named "helicopter" parenting -- describes parents who are protective and highly involved in every aspect of their child's life. In general, extreme parenting methods require a high degree of dedication and allow little room for error or individualization.

Benefits

• Extreme parenting styles are by definition excessive and they can have serious ramifications for children, both positive and negative. A child of a tiger mother knows what's expected and the consequences for her actions, while the child of a permissive parent likely knows that she can make her own rules and hone her independence. Jeffrey Liew, an associate professor of learning sciences in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M, has researched tiger parenting specifically as used in Chinese culture and notes that children of extremely strict parents enjoy increased autonomy and mental health benefits. Of course, each type of extreme parenting will yield different results.

Disadvantages

• The problem with extreme parenting methods is that they leave little room for tweaking based on a child's individual needs. A parent's chosen method often overshadows a child's temperament or personality. What's more, some types of extreme parenting could be termed abusive. Negligent parenting, for instance, is extreme but also abusive, while extremely strict parenting crosses the line when a parent uses verbal or physical abuse to drive her agenda home. Care should be taken to ensure that an extreme parenting method isn't physically or emotionally damaging to a child.

Alternatives

• If you don't feel like an extreme parenting method is right for your family, remember that you can pick and choose different components from parenting methods to create something better for your child. For instance, perhaps you like the foundation of a permissive style -- allowing your child to make his own decisions -- but you don't want to give him completely free range. Giving him two or three choices and allowing him to decide can incorporate aspects of permissive parenting without getting too extreme. Your method of parenting might be cobbled together from other methods, but it becomes something unique to your family and your child's needs.