Recent research suggests that parenting styles such as authoritative and authoritarian approaches may not completely capture parenting among Latinos (Domenech Rodriguez, et al., 2009). Examining the parenting style of Latinos is important because it has been found to play a role in children's school readiness and achievement, but research is limited among Latinos. Cultural values and acculturation have been shown to be related to Latino's parenting practices and further study may help to better understand the role of parenting on child outcomes (Calzada, Fernandez, & Cortes, 2010; Chavez, 2008; Donovick, 2010; Dornbusch et al., 1987). The context in which families live also plays an important role in the type of parenting behaviors that are displayed (Cruz-Santiago & Ramirez Garcia, 2011; Coatsworth, Patin, & Szapocznik, 2002). Given the limited research addressing all of these factors, it is difficult to determine how these constructs may be uniquely related among Latino parents. The current study examined parenting among Latina female caregivers to identify the parenting styles that best described parenting approaches among Latinos. This research also studied whether cultural factors, such as acculturation and cultural values, predicted parenting style among Latinos. Finally, the study also examined how parents' contextual demands were related to parenting style and whether parenting style predicted children's literacy skills, children's self-regulation skills, and children's social-emotional competence among Latinos. A sample of 116 Latina female caregivers and their second or third grade children participated in this study. Female caregivers completed self-report measures assessing their parenting, cultural values, acculturation, perceived discrimination and children's social-emotional competence. Children completed two tasks to examine their literacy skills and self-regulation. Findings indicated that authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles did not fully reflect the parenting approach of Latinas. Instead, Latina female caregivers were found to display authoritative and protective parenting styles, with most female caregivers being characterized by authoritative parenting. There was no evidence of authoritarian parenting among Latina female caregivers. Parenting style and parenting dimensions did not differ based on child's gender. Cultural factors were found to play an important role in parenting among Latina mothers. Contextual demands, as measured through perceived discrimination, did not predict parenting style among this sample of Latina female caregivers. In contrast, when parenting was examined at the dimension level, perceived discrimination was found to significantly predict non-supportive demandingness. Finally, parenting style predicted children's social-competence, but not self-regulation or early literacy skills. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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