Final answer:
Permissive parents are accepting and responsive but undemanding, nurturing but not firm with limits. This style contrasts with authoritative parenting, which is structured and nurturing, and authoritarian parenting, which is strict with little warmth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Parents who are accepting and responsive but undemanding are referred to as permissive parents. Permissive parenting is characterized by high responsiveness to a child's needs with low demands or control. These parents are nurturing and communicative, but they do not set firm limits, make few demands regarding mature behavior, and tend to avoid confrontation. Permissive parents may allow children to set their schedules and rules, and, as a result, the children might lack self-discipline, which negatively impacts their academic success.
Diana Baumrind's research categorizes and describes various parenting styles. Authoritative parenting is the style most encouraged in modern American society, as it combines reasonable demands with warmth and structure, leading to high self-esteem and social competence in children. In contrast, authoritarian parenting, which emphasizes strict rules and obedience, can lead to children who are anxious and unhappy.