Being a Good Parent

Being a Good Parent

Although most parents want to be good parents, not all of them succeed; most of them are blinded by that goal and forget about the important things that are their children. The goal of most parents is to be a good parent. They want to be the best for their children, and they try anything to make that possible. Many parents have different ideas of what being a good parent is, but most of them have similar thoughts. Many characteristics define a good parent. Parents should take care of their children. They must be a kindhearted person; someone that could teach them how to be a kind person, so parents must be a great role model for them. They should be responsible, be always there for them, be patient, understand them, and know how to take care of them; also being the biological parent does not mean you are a “parent” to a child.

The main goal of almost every parent is to be a good parent. The problem is that no one knows how to be a good parent, so parents act depending on their experiences. They do not want their children to have the same struggles as them, and try to give them everything they need (and want). For example, if a parent had economic problems, they do not want their children to be in the same situation. In the short story “I Stand Here Ironing”, the narrator and her daughter lived during the Great Depression; she had to work, she always was busy and she could not be with her daughter because of it. The mother works for her, but she forgets to be there for here, something that affected her. “She [daughter] does not smile easily, but when she wants, how fluid” (Olsen). The lack of the narrator’s presence affected her daughter’s emotions. Although the narrator cared about her daughter, she did not do a good job of being a good parent, because she was not there when her daughter needed her. In other words, parents often forget about the other qualities of being a good parent; they only focus on one thing and sometimes forget what is important.

Parents should focus on the most important qualities, in order to be a good. A good parent is always there when his children need them. Sometimes kids need their support but they do not always say it. For example, in “I Stand Here Ironing”, the narrator says, “I knew Emily [daughter] hated it even if she did not clutch and implore ‘don’t go Mommy’ like the other children, mornings” (Olsen). Sometimes children do not say how they feel and need their parents’ support. Parents should try to understand what is happening to their children, and support them when they most need it. Also, they should show their love to their kids, show affection to them. Even though parents love their kids, it is useless if they do not show their feelings towards them. It can create problems because they would doubt about if their parents love them. In addition, parents should have many qualities that could