Effects Of Parenting Styles On The Social Habits Of Preschoolers In Public Preschools

INTODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Parenting is one of the most significant determinants of children’s social and emotional development. The role of parenting styles defined as the methods or techniques parents use to raise their children in shaping the social habits of children has garnered increasing attention from scholars in recent years. In the context of preschool-aged children, social habits such as sharing, cooperating, and emotional regulation are critical to their future social and academic success. As children in their formative years are particularly malleable, the influence of parental behavior becomes even more pronounced. Preschoolers in public schools often reflect the direct and indirect influences of parenting styles, given that they are still in the process of developing the foundational social skills necessary for interacting with peers and authority figures.

In Nigeria, especially in urban areas like Abuja, the capital city, the issue of how parenting styles influence children’s social habits is an area of growing concern. With the increasing urbanization, shifting family dynamics, and diverse socio-economic challenges, the way parents raise their children has been impacted, and this has a corresponding effect on the behavior of preschoolers in public preschools. According to Baumrind’s (1967) foundational theory, parenting styles are generally categorized into authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful, and each style has distinctive impacts on children’s development. These styles have varying degrees of influence on a child’s emotional regulation, social interaction, and ability to adapt to social norms (Maccoby & Martin, 1983). This study focuses on how these parenting styles affect the social habits of preschoolers in public preschools in Abuja.

The importance of studying preschoolers is rooted in the fact that early childhood development is foundational for later success in both academic and social spheres. Preschoolers are in a critical period where they are learning to form relationships outside the family unit, interact with peers, and comply with societal norms. As the foundation of lifelong social behavior is laid during these years, understanding how parenting styles influence the development of these behaviors is crucial. According to Alami et al. (2020), children’s social habits formed in the preschool years can predict future social competence and emotional well-being. Therefore, examining the parenting styles prevalent in Abuja’s public school settings offers insight into the ways Nigerian families are shaping their children’s social futures.

The concept of parenting styles was first introduced by Baumrind in the late 1960s. She identified three major parenting styles—authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. Later, Maccoby and Martin (1983) expanded this framework to include neglectful parenting. Each of these styles reflects varying levels of responsiveness and demandingness and has distinct effects on child development. Authoritative parenting, characterized by high responsiveness and high demandingness, tends to produce well-adjusted children who are both socially competent and academically successful (Baumrind, 1967; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). On the other hand, authoritarian parenting, with high demandingness but low responsiveness, often results in children who are obedient but less socially competent. Permissive parenting, where there is high responsiveness but low demandingness, tends to lead to children who may struggle with self-regulation. Finally, neglectful parenting, which is low in both responsiveness and demandingness, has been linked to the poorest outcomes in terms of both social habits and academic performance (Maccoby & Martin, 1983; Darling & Steinberg, 2018).

Recent studies have further examined the effects of these parenting styles in diverse cultural contexts, including in African countries like Nigeria. For instance, Smetana et al. (2018) explored the relationship between parenting styles and social development across different cultures and found that cultural norms often shape the way parenting styles are expressed and their subsequent impact on children. In Nigeria, where respect for elders and adherence to societal rules are highly valued, authoritarian parenting may be more prevalent. However, urbanization and exposure to globalized parenting techniques have led to an increasing adoption of authoritative and permissive styles in cities like Abuja (Abubakar & Adegboye, 2019). This shift in parenting trends is particularly evident in public preschools, where children from various socio-economic backgrounds interact daily.

In the Nigerian context, particularly in urban areas like Abuja, many factors, including socio-economic status, educational background of the parents, and exposure to different cultures, contribute to the type of parenting style adopted by parents. In public schools, where children often come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, parenting styles may vary significantly, leading to varied outcomes in the social habits of preschoolers. According to Ikuomola (2020), parents in Abuja’s public schools often face economic challenges, leading to increased stress levels, which can affect their parenting methods. Parents who are more stressed may adopt authoritarian or neglectful styles, which can lead to preschoolers developing either overly compliant or disruptive social behaviors.

The social habits of preschoolers, such as their ability to share, cooperate, and interact positively with peers and teachers, are crucial for their development. Children’s social skills at this age are predictive of later social competence and can affect their ability to succeed academically (Darmody et al., 2019). For instance, children raised by authoritative parents are more likely to exhibit prosocial behaviors, such as empathy and cooperation, which are essential for building positive relationships with peers (Chao, 2018). On the other hand, children of authoritarian parents may struggle with peer relationships due to their tendencies toward obedience without emotional expression. Permissive parenting, which emphasizes freedom with little guidance, can lead to children who lack self-discipline, thereby affecting their social interactions in school settings (Darling & Steinberg, 2018).

A study conducted by Adebayo and Salawu (2021) in Lagos, another urban Nigerian city, found that children from authoritarian households were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior in school, while children from permissive households often displayed a lack of discipline. Similarly, children from authoritative households demonstrated balanced social habits, including the ability to regulate their emotions and interact positively with their peers. These findings align with the broader literature that suggests authoritative parenting is most conducive to fostering positive social habits in preschoolers (Baumrind, 1967; Smetana et al., 2018).

In Abuja, public preschools cater to children from a variety of backgrounds, making it a unique environment to study the effects of parenting styles on social habits. Unlike private schools, where parents may have more financial resources and time to engage with their children, parents of children in public preschools may face economic and time constraints, which can influence their parenting styles. This study aims to investigate how these different parenting approaches manifest in the social habits of preschoolers in public schools. By doing so, it seeks to provide valuable insights into how early childhood socialization is influenced by family dynamics in a rapidly changing urban Nigerian environment…..