What are the essential characteristics of a good parent?

Thanks to professor Lauro for providing me the list of topic choice. When I run my eyes over the list, I found this topic"what are the essential characteristics of a good parent?" Actually, I do want to talk about it because one of my friend,Clark, is suffering from a very innormal family..grin...So let me talk about what's the best parents in my heart. I don't really like that parents who always control their children's brain and behavior. In children's world, they have something they think right. I think that children have the thing that oneself likes, just like you let children darw the sun, he may put the sun painted rectangular.It is because he has not formed in the consciousness of the sun's entity. Many things are been experienced gradually.I believe that after the child grows up, and he will know something hanging in the sky at daytime is the sun. At this time, if you let him draw the sun, he absolutely paints the sun in round. So I think good parents should follow children's interest and don't control them or tell them what's wrong or what's right. Good parents should encourage children to do much eough by themselves and let them figure out the best way. Actually, there is no wrong or right in the world, it's only easy way and hard way or it's stupid way or smart way.