What is your definition of a good parent?

I think I have a ways to go before I can be considered a perfect parent. I want to work on becoming a better parent right now. I take care of them, they have all of the necessities of life, they have everything they want, they go to a good school, my husband and I work, we have a nice house, cars, but I feel like I'm missing something. Give me some tips on how to be a good parent. Serious answers only please.What is your definition of a good parent?
Really knowing who your children are. What makes them laugh? What do they think about? What do they wonder about? What are they interested in? Do they feel secure and loved? What makes them nervous? What frightens them? What lessons do they need to learn? Are you doing the most to make them successful adults someday? You can give kids too many material things and they might learn misplaced values. Kids tend to value time more than anything.What is your definition of a good parent?
A good parent is a parent first of all.





They unconditionally love their child above themselves and are willing to sacrifice anything for the good of their child.








A good parent has far vision.





The child will someday grow up, get a job, have a family of their own. The parent needs to be working towards that goal, and is willing to sacrafice immediate 'wants' in favor of the long term.





A good parent is an educator.





It is the parents responsibility to teach the child right from wrong, to teach them self discipline, how to interact with society, how to better themselves, and compete in the modern world. They have many tools such as schools, books, and the internet, but it is the parents job to educate, not the schools, not the books and certainly not the internet.





A good parent is not self-replicating (or worse)





A parent must strive to have their child be BETTER then themselves. This is what has brought mankind to where it is at now. The phrase, ';It was good enough for me'; stays on TV, the child deserves better.














That would be my definition. Parents are human just like everyone else. We make mistakes. We buy our kids too much stuff, we send them to their room and then realize we were actually wrong after all. That does not make a parent less then good, it just makes us human. As long as we do what we do because we love them, are educating them towards the long term goals, so that they will be better then ourselves, then we are doing the right things.
My reccendomation would be childrens are from heaven a really good book i would say if u dont understand your child well there will be a problem always listen to ur child even if its silly and play games to understand them more


but this book is very handy and it was reffered by a good mate she is a mother of two and i think its very useful


hope it works well
As a kid myself (15), here's what I think: Be interested in what your kids do...If they like acting go to any productions they're involved in. If they like sports move things around at work so you can see the game...especially if you know it will mean a lot to your kid. Also, support any decision they feel strongly about...no matter what it is, you probably won't like it, but you just have to remember it's their life, but be sure you're a part of it!
Being a good parent does not mean having a nice


home or a nice or car or anything of those things.





All those are just Material things,


things that are not IMPORTANT to your child.


Your child doesn't care what you drive.





I grew up extremely poor,


and I had the BEST mother in the world.


She put me through school with straight A's.


Now heading off to college.





What kids and children want the most,


is love. Take your kids out and praise them when


they are being good.





Even though, you work and may not be home alot,


take time to really listen to them. if anything that


I hated it was when I felt my parents didnt care


or didnt listen.





They have their own IDEAS and OPINIONS.


Don't think you will always be right, before you know


it your kids will be SMARTER than you.





Value their opinions, teach them what respect means,


teach them about this life even at a young age.


open the world to them, don't just hide it behind close doors,


because parents who try and get their children 'material' things or try to hide the world, End up with the worst kids.





You are only teaching them that Material things are important. The one concept you MUST teach your children is about respect and living life. Teach them what it means to be a man or a women. Teach them manners and dont be so harsh, kids are kids. Be their friend but also be their companion.





Hope this helps. Just spend time with your kids,


and take sometime to really realize their qualities.


Don't try to shove or push them into something


You did when you were young.





Remember, YOUR KIDS WILL NOT BE YOU,


They might not think anywhere NEAR like you did,


best thing is to teach them to be individuals and about


the good and bad of the world.


=]]
One of the biggest things I see parents do is to put THEIR own dreams onto their child. For instance, maybe you always dreamed of being an actress so when your child shows a little interest in drama you go absolutely crazy.





Another thing is that a lot of parents are very selfish. One of


my friends didn't tell her children about Santa Claus because she wanted her kids to know that the presents were from her (and not for religious reasons, which I think are perfectly understandable). She wanted her kids to know they were from her, she wanted the credit.





It's okay to say ';I don't know';. Your kids should learn that you are a person too; you're not someone who knows everything and has everything.





Don't make a big deal out of everything. One of my co-worker's daughters insists that her children go to bed every night at exactly the same time. This is kind of understandable, right? Well, here's where it gets odd.... she won't even let these children stay up on Christmas Eve, Halloween, 4th of July, New Years, nothing. They have to go to bed. The family has parties every year and every year they have to leave early so they can put their children to bed. All of the cousins get to stay up (most are, in fact, YOUNGER than the ones going to bed early every night no matter what). It's not going to kill her or her children to allow them to stay up and enjoy the festivities.





I think the biggest thing is that a lot of parents want to control everything. Every parent knows that this is not possible. You can't control when your child first speaks, walks, eats solid foods, etc. You also can't control every tiny aspect of your child's life and this is OK. When you stress out ... your child stresses out.





Give them lots of love and don't ever hold your love hostage.
There is no such thing as a perfect parent. We all have our flaws, some bigger than others. I would say a good parent is someone who loves and cares for their family. But just because you have a nice house and cars, does not mean that you are 'more of a good parent' than a person with a tiny house and no cars. Money has nothing to do with good parenting. Just remember that.
Everything you mention is material. It's actually a bad thing that your children have everything they want. That teaches them the wrong things about life. They will go through life expecting everything they want to be handed to them. You didn't mention one thing about values, or teaching your children to be good people. You need to do these things before you can be considered a good parent.
Lisa A is right, stop giving them everything you'll turn them into brats. A good parent also disciplines there children, Can you go out to eat and not disturb fellow diners ? Do they know the difference between a playground and a store ? Teach them the world doesnt revolve around them and they will be better more productive members of society.
im not a parent, im a kid. so here is a viewpoint from a kid. material things are good, but not the most important things. dont spoil your kids but still get them stuff here and there. teach them right from wrong and try to inforce it. but dont go overbored. mostly, get to know them, talk about things they like, spend time with them doing things they like (video games, bored games, make crafts, try to find music you both like and listen to it)...sorry if im not that helpful, i dont know the 'do's and dont's of parenting' but i do know some of the things kids want.
My definition of good parenting is to work yourself out of a job. Teach your kids to take responsibility for their actions, to be polite, to entertain themselves. Teach them that they are beautiful/handsome and talented. Celebrate the little victories with them... if they finally ';get'; something they've had a hard time with in school, be excited for them.





The most important thing you can do to be a good parent is to be there for your kids, no matter what. They need to know that even when they've been bad, you still love them. Even when you don't like what they're doing, you'll still put your day on hold for a few minutes to listen to them. If/when they argue, make sure you listen to both sides of the story.... and then decide what to do.
Love them unconditionally and also love and respect their father. See that they live in a calm, low stress and pleasant atmosphere.
I was an ';OK'; parent. My parents were ';OK'; parents.


My one son does not have any children. But after he visits with my grandchildren, he always says ';Thanks for not killing me when I was a child';.


You do the best to your ability. If you do your best, no one can expect more.
Patience- love- attention- positive discipline