What is good parenting?

[geordiecolin]

When I was boy one of the few things I had been told was that divorce was one of the worst things for a child to contend with. I auto felt a connection with those who I knew from that background.Today is very different some would say.
What do you think is good parenting?

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I was 5 when my parents divorced, and it turned out that neither parent really wanted myself or my sister so we were passed from pillar to post for the majority of our childhood thereafter.
Fast forward to today and I have three kids of my own, and I'm of the opinion that what makes good parenting is being able to listen to your children and treat them like human beings, with valid opinions and thoughts of their own. However I do not think there is a common set of rules or doctrines that makes a good parent. If you love your children the rest will come naturally.

 

[Jasminebed]

My ex and I split when our daughter was 3. He saw her often, and still does, and is more likely to babysit than I am. I remember in her teens she told me she was so glad that we did when she was little, instead of that being one more thing to deal with at that point in her life. A lot of her friends' families were going through divorces.

It's ideal for children to have two (or more) loving parents, but I am not convinced they need to live under the same roof.

I'm not sure that just loving your child will naturally lead to good parenting. I know a lot of loving parents that want way too much for their kids to like them. Boundaries are necessary for children to thrive.

Not all children are the same, and even within families, one child may need a very different style of parenting than a sibling.