With over three hundred million Americans and over six billion people worldwide, parenting skills are essential to maintaining a healthy society. Parenting involves many aspects and requires many skills. It is a time to cultivate, educate and correct to develop the fundamental skills that children will need to be mature, responsible adults capable of contributing to society. There are four commonly identified parenting styles; authoritarian, authoritarian, permissive and uninvolved parenting. Of the four parenting styles, two remain at opposite ends of the parenting spectrum. These two styles; authoritarian and permissive both have deleterious outcomes that are often visible during different stages of development, such as rebellious behavior. Furthermore each style has its own advantages such as; acceptance by peers with commonality. For most parents, raising children is an evolving set of skills. You might say that, with any parenting style, there is no explicit set of rules for every situation, and what works for one child may not be effective for another. While authoritative and permissive parents may have some small similarities, they are markedly different from each other in their approach to raising children. One of the most striking differences is that of expected social behaviors. Authoritarian parents expect and require strict adherence to good manners, often to the extreme! Demonstrating good manners in all circumstances is a sign of obedience and respect within this parent-child relationship. This act of obedience can also be expressed in a formal communication style rather than a casual style towards both parents and others. "Yes sir", "No sir", "Please" and "Thank you" are common words... middle of paper... outward acts of disapproval when expected to complete a task, and rarely complete a certain task. Successful parenting can be judged by many different standards. Raising a child to become a respectful, mature and independent adult takes a lot of effort. There are different parenting styles, and not all of them lead to a child reaching his or her full potential. Overwhelming severity can lead to a rebellious child, while passive parenting can lead to children being inept at dealing with the challenges of adulthood. Parenting requires more than teaching children submission or building self-importance. Children learn best from an admirable role model. Being a parent is a great opportunity to set the course of your entire life in the right direction.