Introduction This paper seeks to undertake a research on different parenting styles and how they affect growth and development of adolescent children. The purpose of this research is to indicate aspects relating to parenting and their subsequent impact on behavior in adolescents. Parenting is both an art and a science as it seeks to offer emotional and physical support to an infant from the onset of childhood until their maturity into adulthood. These infants are dependent on their parents until they reach a stage where they are self reliant and self sufficient (Harper, 2012). Parenting is a key aspect in the family life as it engages nurturing young child to be adults based on pre-determined norms and values. There is no particular formula for good parenting as it entails acquisition of a variety of skills ranging from flexibility, perceptiveness, patience and high levels of personal discipline. These skills are vital to ensure that as an adolescent child undergoes behavioral changes, the parent is in a position to anticipate and control the adolescent’s behavior. Significance of the study The adolescent period of development refers to a stage that every human being has to undergo. However, adolescent children undergo a variety of developmental changes that require parents to understand their behavior to easily accommodate them. Some of the changes which the children go through revolve around emotional, biological, mental and social changes, which require them to adapt to changing situations. The purpose of this research is to enable parents understand how to apply the right kind of parenting style on children undergoing adolescence. It further seeks to highlight and discuss different parenting styles to facilitate smooth relationships between parents and their children during this period of their lives. Literature Review The literature review highlights previous insights that have been advanced by scholars in the past relating to parenting. Parenting styles refer to approaches regarding childbearing based on aspects of control (degree of parental control) and responsiveness (often referred to as parental warmth). This section analyzes the major types of parenting styles and further looks into suggested styles that have been attributed to successful adolescent upbringing. Development in adolescent children is influenced by a variety of factors, mainly parenting (Rankin, 2005). Parenting Styles The major types of parenting styles include authoritative, authoritarian, permissive and uninvolved parenting. Different stages of child development demand for a style of parenting that is appropriate to that situation. Furthermore, different cultural and ethnic settings impact the kind of style applied by parents. More often than not, past experience (relating to how parents were raised) may negatively or positively impact how parents raise their adolescent children. Below is a discussion of the types of parenting. Authoritative parenting Authoritative parents generally exercise a level of parental warmth despite eliciting strictness. They encourage their children to become self reliant and independent. They are willing to engage in dialogue with their children to determine the best way forward for both parties. Despit