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The greatest honor a person can have in their lifetime is to become a parent. So, what does it take to be a parent? Almost anyone can become a parent. A better phrased question would be, "what does it take to be a good parent?". That is an entirely different question. To be a good parent, it takes a combination of qualities. Below is a list of some of the qualifications it takes to be a good parent.

1. Unconditional love. Children absolutely must know that nothing will ever end the love their parents have for them. Love is a powerful thing. A child that is loved freely is more likely to thrive and feel secure.

2. Strength. Parents must be strong enough to make the decisions that are in the best interest of their child. Often, children will not agree with their parents and will try to change their parents mind. Children will go to great lengths to do this. Having the strength to stand up to tears, tantrums, and everything else you can think of is harder than it sounds. There are few things in this world that can melt a parents heart like the sight of their child's tears, even if the parent know they are crying to get their own way. So, strength is very important to be a good parent.

3. Patience. In every area of parenting, patience is required. When you are potty training, calming a crying baby, correcting behavior, and explaining homework. A great teacher needs great patience.

4. Empathy. To truly understand your child you need to try to understand what they are feeling. You need to put yourself in their shoes. Being empathetic will allow you to talk to your child and make decisions in the best interest of your child.

5. Humor. A good sense of humor is needed to be a parent. Sometimes you are in situations where you can laugh or you can cry. If you didn't have a sense of humor, you would find yourself crying all day. Having the ability to make light of situations will help you cope with the stress that comes with the territory.

6. Picking the battles. Parents need to know how to pick the battles that are truly important. For example, your daughter wants to wear her pajamas all day long. Is this really worth getting into a confrontation about? There are no life lessons to be learned by a day in the pajamas. Being able to let some things go for the sake of the things that really are important will save you and your child a lot of unnecessary grief and turmoil.

7. Time. Children need their parents to actually spend time with them. Many parents these days choose to pursue

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