Ethical Issues in Marriage: Different Approaches to Parenting

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to address ethical issues in marriage that stem from differing parenting styles the spouses practice while bringing up their children. The paper has reached the conclusion that two aspects need highlighting. First, having considered both the holistic and non-holistic parenting styles, it can be concluded that different approaches to parenting by married partners may impact upon not only the life of their children, but also their own marriage relationship. With regard to the latter, one particular finding of our research sticks out. And that is the fact that disagreements about parenting and child discipline continue to be one of the most common sources of marital discord and reasons for couples to seek marital/family counseling. Second, what also needed highlighting was the tentative solution this paper suggests. That is, the reciprocal and mutual alignment, on the part of the married partners, of their own spousal mode of parenting with the practices and strategies of an authoritative parenting style, which is the embodiment of the principle of holistic parenting.

Keywords

• induction
• socializing
• responsiveness
• demandingness
• authoritative
• authoritarian