What kind of mom are you: find out the type of parenting you practice.

▪️Tiger-mom

The term tiger-mom first appeared in the 2011 book The Battle hymn of the Tiger Mother by Chinese-American lawyer and writer Amy Chua. In it, Chua described the method of raising children that is customary in China and other eastern countries, where the priority is high academic achievements of the child, strict discipline, hard work, the requirement to meet high standards and strong family unity. Unlike Western-type parents who respect their child's personality, encourage him to develop his talent and support his choice, Asian-type parents bring up, above all, a successful person. A tiger mother places extremely high demands on the child's achievements in school, sports, and any business that he undertakes. Amy Chua once told her 4-year-old daughter to redo a handmade greeting card because she wasn't very neat, according to her mom.

But do not rush to criticize such picky mother tigers. Chua writes that exactingness and discipline are combined with the love and devotion of parents: a tiger mother does everything so that the child believes in her own strength, and if something does not work out now, more efforts must be made to do the job at the highest level. The daughters of Chua herself confirm the effectiveness of this method: the elder Sophia is a graduate of Yale Law School, and the younger Louise is a student at Harvard.

▪️Helicopter mother

Understanding the concept of this type of parenting is very simple: imagine a helicopter that flies over the head of a child and follows his every move, ready to help at any moment. It is not difficult to recognize a mother-helicopter on the playground - she always follows the child, wherever the baby goes, she is very worried about safety - her child will definitely be in a helmet and in all possible protection, even if she rides a bicycle on a green lawn. Such a mother gets a job in a kindergarten where her child goes, and later - in her child's school. Critics of this method talk about overprotection, supporters praise such parents for a strong connection with children and involvement in their lives. Want to check if you have signs of a helicopter mom? Here is a list of typical signs:

📍You choose only rubber-coated playgrounds for your child.📍If a child talks about a fight with a friend/girlfriend, you call the child's parents immediately to find the culprit or resolve the conflict.

📍When an adult asks a question to your child, you are responsible for it.

📍At 8 years old, your child is still riding a bike with extra wheels.

📍You never let children help you cook or clean the house for safety reasons.

📍You rewrite for the child or “improve” his essay on Ukrainian literature.

📍You write or call the teacher to find out your child's homework, which is in 3rd grade.

So how, a lot of ticks put? Helicopter parents are most often justified by good intentions - to protect the child from injury or mistakes. But be careful - do not confuse love with the desire to control.

▪️Elephant mother

Now type in the image search “mother elephant” and look at these incredibly touching photos of elephants with their mothers. In addition to the daily limit of cuteness, you also got the general idea of this parenting concept. Indeed, female elephants are considered the most caring mothers of all animals: for about two years they bear a cub, feed milk for another three years, and live with their baby elephant until their death. In addition, elephants and cubs love to hug their trunks and play together.

In the human world, it can be said that the elephant mother is the opposite of the tiger mother, because she cares for, supports and amuses the child. In other words, if the tigress demands high grades at school, then the elephant consoles the child who brought home the “deuce”: “Don’t be upset, next time you will definitely cope with the task.” There are probably elephant mothers among your acquaintances, here's how to recognize them:

📍Carries the baby in a sling and breastfeeds up to 2-3 years.

📍Sleeps with a child in the same bed up to 4-5 years.

📍On the playground, he does not chat with mothers, but plays with children - his own and complete strangers.

📍He wants to feed and caress all the children he meets on the street.

📍Discipline and perfect order are not a priority for elephant mothers: their children may be grimy and in dirty shoes, but they are happy to play outside.

📍The house of the mother elephant is a complete playroom for children: they freely play, draw, design and sculpt throughout the apartment, and the mother supports all the creative ideas of the children.

📍Motto of elephant parents: “Don't take away their childhood from children. They have a whole life ahead of them to be adults, let them play while they can.

If you are still an “elephant” in raising a child, we advise you not to adopt the habit of these giant animals to live with your child all your life.

▪️Jellyfish mother

Medusa is the image of a mother who allows everything. Such parents have very few or no rules and prohibitions, they indulge all the whims of their children. This style of parenting assumes that the child is the boss, and parents are guided by the principle of "what the child wants." This little prince or princess perceives parents not as authorities, but as just friends. Children of jellyfish parents are often not very organized, do not perform brilliantly in school, do not know the limits of what is permitted and do not have emotional intelligence skills - they find it difficult to cope with their feelings, especially when they are used to having what they want, and suddenly they do not get it. Worried that you may have signs of a jellyfish mom? Check yourself:

📍You do not direct the activities of the child, do not prioritize, act on the principle of "everything will come in handy."

📍Do not set rules, prohibitions, control.

📍You lightly close your eyes to what the child sticks into the phone for hours.

📍You allow a child of 10 years old to play computer games 18+.

📍You avoid conflicts with the child because of his bad behavior, just do not pay attention to it.

Doesn't look too good, does it? Don't despair, fortunately there are still dolphins.

▪️Dolphin mother

Probably the most harmonious and balanced parenting style without excessive pressure and expectations of tigresses, without an excess of tenderness and affection of elephants, without permissiveness of jellyfish and hypercontrol of helicopters. Dolphin parents raise their children in cooperation and mutual support of each other in the family, instill the values of long-term goals, such as a healthy lifestyle, rather than ostentatious success, like high marks and victories. Such parents prioritize learning and discipline, but also give children enough autonomy to make decisions commensurate with the age of their son or daughter. Dolphin mother does not enroll a child in 33 circles, but he helps with household chores and acquires important skills for a future independent life. And when mom is busy, the child explores the world on his own and learns to play, rather than waiting for his parents to entertain him. It seems that dolphins have taken the best of other animals and combined it into what is known as natural parenting.