Parenting Styles

They f*ck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.
- Philip Larkin, This Be The Verse

Mr. Larkin may be a little harsh with his opening line, but how we were parented has an impact on how we see the world moving forward. And in turn there are generations going all the back to the first ever parent, establishing generational lines of handing down information, feelings, perspectives, philosophies.

This worksheet explores four dominant styles of parenting. Perhaps it will give insight into how you behave, or how you parent your own children. It can offer insight into our inner parent, i.e. how we speak to ourselves internally. And it can open the door to breaking cycles of generational trauma.