Children With College Educated Parents More Likely To Attend Four-Year School

A staggering 80 percent of children raised by two college educated parents noted that they were encouraged to attend a four-year school, according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center.

The study was also conducted by researchers from Brown University School of Medicine, Brandeis University, National Children’s Medical Center and New England Center for Pediatric Psychology.

This correlation was linked to parenting style in the study – specifically, a modern approach to parenting known as Empowerment Parenting. This type of parenting style is based on the specific needs of school-aged children in grades K-12; parents who adopt this style typically are open-minded and focus on persistence instead of discipline.

The study asked parents to list different values by their personal order of importance, since core values are closely related to parenting style. The results suggested that parents who were college graduates valued obedience less than those without a college degree. Those who valued obedience more were more likely to “lash out” at their children by yelling or punishing. Children who become the recipient of this type of parenting were less likely to form emotional attachments to their goals, and therefore less likely to persist when faced by obstacles.

Additional research found that children raised by parents with a higher education were 40 percent more likely to have emotional balance and 60 percent more likely to have high grades than those who came from parents with no college degree.

According to The American Journal of Family Therapy, Empowerment Parenting is the only style of parenting that focuses on building “grit”, or persistence. The findings noted that parents should take into consideration their own educational goals for their children and adjust their parenting style from there.

Source: The Learning Habit