20 Questions to Ask Your Parents About Their Parenting Style
As children grow up, they begin to realize that their parents are not perfect beings. They are humans with flaws and strengths, just like everyone else. One thing that can help adult children understand their parents better is to ask them questions about their parenting style. Here are 20 questions to get started:
Childhood upbringing
1. What were your goals in raising me?
2. What were your expectations for me as a child?
3. What did you consider to be the most important values to instill in me?
4. How did your own upbringing influence your parenting style?
5. Did you have a disciplinary approach, and how did you handle it?
Relationship with your parents
6. How was your relationship with your parents?
7. What did you learn from your parents, and what did you want to do differently?
8. What was your biggest challenge in parenting and how did you overcome it?
9. In what ways did your spouse influence your parenting style?
Developmental milestones
10. Can you talk about a significant moment in my development?
11. How did you handle my major milestones, such as puberty or graduating from high school?
12. What were your expectations for my education and future career?
Responsibility and Independence
13. What were your expectations regarding household chores and responsibilities?
14. How did you teach me to be independent?
15. What was your approach to discipline, especially when it comes to trust and respect?
16. Did you push me towards independence or protectiveness, and why?
Communication
17. How did you communicate with me, and was that different from how your parents communicated with you?
18. Did you talk about life skills (like budgeting, time management, etc.), and how to deal with difficult situations?
19. How did you use positive reinforcement or praise?
20. What is the one thing you wish you had done differently in raising me?
Conclusion
Asking these 20 questions can help you understand your parents a bit more and appreciate their journey in raising you. It can also help you see the nuances and complexities of parenting and, who knows, it might even help you become a better parent in the future.
