The article deals with the problem of the topicality of parenting style in the family and its meaning in the theory and practice of family pedagogy. It is an attempt to provide an answer to what is constant and what is variable in parenting styles. The answer takes into account the issues: the understanding of the term, the criteria and classifications of the parenting style, kinds of the parenting style and the determinants of changes. The main classifications of parenting style are presented in the lecture (M. Ryś, D. Baumrind, E. Maccoby, J. Martin, G. Schmidchen). They show the basic criteria of parenting styles division and their importance for the education processes. The category of parenting style applied in pedagogy is still current. It enables the describing, explaining, understanding and interpreting of the reality of upbringing. An important function in the educational theory and practice is still the traditional classification of parenting styles, in which there are distinguished an autocratic style, an authoritative style and a permissive style. In the text there are also presented other classifications, which are slightly different in the criteria and type of parenting styles. Nowadays, important issues are changes and evolution of parenting style. In the article, there are questions submitted about the direction of changes and their importance in the upbringing of children and young persons. Also presented are the results of research and analysis of such authors as J. Mariański, T. Szendlak, M. Kohn, Coleman. The results show an expansive tendency of an inert and permissive parenting style. These data show the intense changes in the pattern of the current generation upbringing. Changes occur not only in the upbringing in the family but also in the educational institutions. Today, the issue of parenting styles is a topical and important challenge for educational theory and practice. The lecture is an attempt to present just certain issues and considering those in the synthetic way from a pedagogical prospect, mainly the family pedagogy.