When a parenting style is overly anxious and consequently risk-averse, it can lead to children suffering from greater levels of timidity and disquiet. It is best to let children experiment and to make their own mistakes - within age-appropriate limits, of course. When one parent is very free in their style, and the other is not, tension can arise, which is difficult to resolve. Like most things in life, a compromise should be sought so that the child gets a consistent message about what is allowed and safe and what is not. Setting boundaries which are stuck to tends to suit most children in their relationship with their parents.