Types of parent

The word ‘parent’ defines a role arising from a relationship between an adult and a dependent child or young person. As such parents are likely to share some common features. They are:

• Likely to be emotionally involved
• Rarely indifferent
• May share some common experiences with one another

Professionals sometimes refer to ‘parents’ in a way which implies that they are a homogenous group, and it can be reasonably assumed that in their role as parent they share some characteristics. However, they are individuals and represent the entire spectrum of humanity, and the way in which they interact with professionals, can vary enormously.

Eileen Gascoigne (1995) has identified seven types of parent: