It takes a lot of patience, unconditional love, good morals, constant education and support.

We were taught the following ten rules, in our parenting class:

1. What you do matters.

2. You cannot be too loving.

3. Be involved in your child’s life.

4. Adapt your parenting to fit your child.

5. Establish and set rules.

6. Foster your child’s independence.

7. Be consistent.

8. Avoid harsh discipline.

9. Explain your rules and decisions.

10. Treat your child with respect.

There is no measure for successful parenting. We all have been raised successfully by our parents and believe that they took great care in raising us. That's what you do to raise your kids. Just teach them good habits, be polite and respectful to others. Provide them good education and love them.

I think if you explain some things, and they get a broader view of consequences then they will make their own mistakes without coming into too much harm.  Rather than keeping some things a 'secret' because you feel they are not old enough, if they ask, then obviously they have some knowledge and are ready, far better to have a clear and concise ones than some made up rumour or ill-meaning advise.

I can see where my parents have made their mistakes with us, and I obviously know the mistakes their own parents did with them, to listen and learn and strive to do better is the only thing I can think of.

I think and believe, peoples own ideas of what constitutes as a 'successful parenting' is diverse and varied, depending on culture, experiences and religion.  So no easy answers here!

JJ

Don't lie to them, or they may end up lying to you. Also giving them truthful answers raises them with greater awareness and acceptance of what is. Plus if their gonna here about something it's much better they hear about it from someone they can trust. Sheltering them from reality and telling them things are different then they are is setting them up for disappointment. While giving them true awareness may foster them to grow up to be the change that balances the world out.

For instance my mum grew up with alcoholism all around her and she decided that she didn't want to be an alcoholic and she passed this trait down to me. On the opposite side I know kids who grew up in a hard core fundamentalist Christian environment and were sheltered their whole lives and they have both suffered with conditions which compromise organ function.

Encourage their creativity and their interests and let them choose the path they take while giving them a taste for different things they may choose to pursue.

Allow them room and time to grow. Kids know much instinctively. Like how to breathe properly and live free of stress. There is so much to learn from them and you can't expect them to learn from you if you refuse to learn from them. A lot could be accomplished by encouraging their instincts rather then impressing bad habits upon them. Example being how as kids get older they generally forget how to breathe properly and much else by picking up on the bad habits of those around them.

Lead by example. If you don't take your shoes off at the door they will listen to this action and think that it must be ok even if you say other wise.