This is a brief discussion paper I wrote on parenting styles. It’s only a single page long, but might spark some ideas or discussion for people. Additionally, when writing about how characters interact with children (either their own, or others) -or how child characters interact with the adults around them- it might be helpful to think about the styles of parenting. While nature and nurture are still much debated, it can help to think of characters as a core collection of behaviours, impulses, and tendencies (nature) that have been shaped and modified by their environment (nurture).
Does a character’s actions make sense with the backstory you’ve given them? Would a rebellious princess really lash out and run away with a permissive parent figure that gave in to their every demand? Do the parent figures act consistently? (If a permissive father gives in to every demand the princess makes, it doesn’t make sense for him to turn around and demand she do something)
Scribbles in the Margins 