What separates good parents from poor or even mediocre ones? Good question. Let’s assume that the parents of 5 children, all have their kids best interests at heart. You would think that if they approach parenting with this fundamental principle in mind, they will all be successful parents and produce, well-adjusted children.

Well if this is your assumption, then you are wrong. It takes more than that to be a good parent. You must understand the nuances of the child development process and how to leverage this information in your everyday duties as a parent. To help parents who need some help getting started, we decided to write an article discussing the 5 habits of highly successful parents.

1. Parents transmit hope. They say, “Life may not be all I want it to be, but it’s going to be better for my children.” They believe the world is going to be better for their children. Conversely, in some homes in which the parents feel downtrodden, a defeatist attitude is transmitted to children.
2. Parents are consistent. In the households of low-achieving students, Mom has one rule on Monday and another rule on Wednesday. In the households of high-achieving students, parents create and implement rules that remain unchanged from day to day.
3. Parents are complimentary. In the households of low-achieving students, every other word that their parents use has four letters, and the children are frequently berated. Parents of high-achievers praise their children because they understand that their words will have either a positive or negative effect.
4. Parents have high expectations for their children. They expect them to do well and go on to college, join the workforce, or start their own business after high school. They give explicit messages about what’s expected of them in the future.
5. Parents believe they are the primary educators of their children. They do not put a significant burden on the teacher but on themselves.

Adherence to these 5 habits generally produces the best results in children. Consequently, children tend to be content, independent, cooperative, warm, competent, and assertive. They have excellent social skills and go on to be confident, academically successful, and engaged in positive activities. They have better mental health and are less prone to drug and alcohol use or violent tendencies.

What did I miss? Can you think of any additional habits of highly successful parents? If so, place them in the comments area below.