Real Housewives of New Jersey’s strict mum Jacqueline Laurita has slammed Teresa Giudice’s ‘relaxed’ parenting style, but who is right?

In a digital age of social networking, selfies and a much looser handle on what information children have access to, the hotly debated question is how strict you should be with your kids.

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by Jessica Anais Rach |
Published on

RHONJ mum Jacqueline Laurita has previously hit out at co-star Teresa Giudice, accusing her parenting style of being too ‘laid back’.

Taking to her blog during the first seasons of the reality show, 44-year-old mother-of-three Jacqueline accused the 42-year-old mother-of-four of ‘letting her children’ run wild after they were filmed calling their mum a 'bi*tch'.

Speaking about a scene during which Teresa’s then 10-year-old daughter Gia gets emotional after losing a game, Jacqueline wrote:

“We all love Gia. I think Gia is just misguided and maybe a bit hormonal as well. It’s typical for a 10-year-old to be emotional.”

Adding that Teresa should “be careful what she insinuates about other people’s parenting” after Teresa critisised Jacqueline’s parenting skills, she added:

“Does she mean that I should have used HER parenting techniques and never have disciplined my daughter and just allow her run wild like she does with her children?”

“I’m confused. Her children, as adorable as they are, call her a b*tch, tell their siblings to bite their mother … yet she wants to call MY child rebellious and put that on me?”

“That was laughable. Buckle up, Teresa. Let’s check back with each other in a few years when your children are teenagers. We will compare stories then.”

"Her children call her a b*tch, tell their siblings to bite their mother"

And with series 5 launching exclusively on Lifetime (Sky 156 and Virgin 242) from April 22 at 9pm, we get a chance to see whose parenting style has worked better.

But what style do you believe in?

Developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind has described two of three major parenting styles.

Permissive parenting

“Permissive parenting is sometimes known as indulgent parenting. Parents who exhibit this style make relatively few demands upon their children. Because these parents have low expectations for self-control and maturity, they rarely discipline their children.

“They are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation."

Authoritarian parenting

“Authoritarian parents have high expectations of their children and have very strict rules that they expect to be followed unconditionally. These parents are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation. People with this parenting style often utilize punishment rather than discipline, but are not willing or able to explain the reasoning behind their rules.”

Which style does your parenting style fall under? Has it worked? Let us know in the comments box below.

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