ABSTRACT
Parents have a wealth of knowledge about their child. They have spent time watching their child playing, watching them fill and empty toy boxes, or throw balls in the garden. Parents can share information about their child’s likes and dislikes, their habits and interest, their fascinations and behaviours. Collaborative relationships require parents and educator to share their knowledge through piecing together information about the child. Many parents have different ideas about how to raise a child, the differing styles and strategies adopted are known as parenting styles. Parenting styles refers to the combination of strategies used to raise children. Bronfennbrenner’s ecological theory model can be used to illustrate cultural and environmental influences on young children and their families. This model can be visualised as a set of concentric circles within each other, demonstrating the movement from the most intimate influences in the centre to the more remote context beyond.
