A good parent is invaluable to our society. Without good parents, we face a hopeless future. You know one when you meet one, because they share similar qualities, such as:

Self-Sacrificing

One of the chief qualities that distinguishes a good parent from a bad parent is self-sacrifice. A good parent does all that she can to meet the needs of her children, and nurturing her children is the most important thing in her life (along with the relationship with her spouse). It guides her decisions, the ways she spends money and how much or little personal time she takes for herself. Even the decision to work from home and not outside the home demonstrates a self-sacrificing attitude.

Teachable

If you want to be a good parent, you must have a teachable spirit. You can't be a "know it all." That's not to say that you should follow all or even most of the advice that's freely given to you, and especially when they conflict with your values and ethics. However, if there aren't any conflicting values and if there's evidence that a practice works well in a family, then you should humbly receive and implement good advice. A bad parent shuns all advice and instruction from experienced parents, and views it all as an attack. That's the wrong approach, and you could avoid a lot of painful mistakes if you are willing to listen and be taught.

Curious

A key trait of a good parent is curiosity. There is so much to learn about basic parental duties and responsibilities that it can be overwhelming when you're raising your first child. Learning all that you can in order to do the best job possible is something that good parents do, and being curious play a big role. For example, a parent who is curious will want to investigate why some parents only feed organic foods to their children, to see what they can learn and whether that's a practice they should implement in their home. A parent, who is not curious, won't bother to do any research or ask questions. Constantly learning, keeping informed and doing your own research benefits your children and in many ways, protects them.

Diligence

A lazy parent will fail in many areas, and it shows up in their children. One quality of a good parent is diligence. When it comes to household duties and work duties, you'll find them working above and beyond the call. Hard work is key to parenting well, because those skills and attitudes are passed on to the children, and their lives are better for it. A good parent also leaves an inheritance to their children, even if it's just a few coins. They can only do that when they've worked hard during their lifetime and not squandered their time on television or other temporary pleasures that don't produce anything for their children's futures.

Becoming a good parent is a high calling that every parent should strive to achieve. Very few things in life will bring you more joy than to see your children grow up with a similar desire to achieve the same goal.

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Daphne Mallory, Esq. is the co-owner of Mallory Writing Services and has written more than 100 articles helping home based business owners and entrepreneurs start and market their business. You can learn more about her here.