Dr. Wang’s interpretation:

Type 3: “optimal parenting” = high care and low protection

Also known as: “Bamboo parents” — They tend to a young plant in an open sunlit field.

You may have grown up with parents who were warm yet firm—present, but not overpowering. They offered guidance with open communication, trust, and respect for your independence. Sometimes called “bamboo parents,” they were flexible but strong—able to bend without breaking. This style, aligned with authoritative parenting, balances structure with space, with an emphasis on keeping communication open.

Your caregivers likely fostered emotional closeness while encouraging you to explore, fail, and recover. You were given both roots and wings—the security of being loved and the freedom to become yourself.

As a result, you may feel confident navigating challenges, form healthy boundaries, and maintain strong relationships. You likely developed a resilient sense of self, grounded in warmth and capable of standing alone.

This parenting style—sometimes called optimal bonding—is considered ideal. It nurtures emotional resilience, autonomy, and secure attachments. You grew up not just surviving, but thriving—with the freedom to stretch, stumble, and still feel safe.

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    • Baumrind, D. (1971). Current patterns of parental authority. Developmental Psychology Monograph, 4(1, Pt.2), 1–103.

    • Wilhelm, K., Niven, H., Parker, G., & Hadzi-Pavlovic, D. (2005). The stability of the Parental Bonding Instrument over a 20-year period. Psychological Medicine, 35(3), 387–393.

    • Kitamura, T., Suzuki, T., Sugawara, M., & Tanaka, T. (2009). Predicting neuroticism and extroversion from the parental bonding instrument in a Japanese sample: A structural equation modeling approach. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 50(1), 86–92.

    • Choi, K. R., Hwang, M., & Smith, J. A. (2016). Psychiatric symptoms associated with parental bonding styles in young adulthood. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1193

    • Hussain, M., Iqbal, S., Khan, S., Hamdani, A. R., & Sindhu, Z. M. (2023). Examining the long-term effects of authoritative parenting on the development of adolescents’ self-esteem and emotional regulation. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 30(18), 1015–1031.

    • Parental bonding and adult attachment style: The relationship between perceptions of parenting and adult attachment style in a Japanese sample. (2016). International Journal of Women’s Health and Wellness, 2(016).