Everyone deserves to have wonderful, loving parents, but some people just really hit the jackpot with parents who would move mountains for them. Whether their kids are four years old or forty, there are dozens of examples on this list of moms and dads who have made it clear that they put their kids first. And those wholesome moments will likely be remembered for the rest of their children’s lives. We may not always realize how much our parents do for us when we’re young, but especially once we grow up, we realize how many sacrifices they've made for us.

And having great parents does not only benefit us when we’re under their care, it has lasting impacts for the rest of our lives. In fact, when kids feel like they receive unconditional love and affection from their parents, they tend to grow up happier and less anxious. Receiving affection as a child can also protect individuals from everyday stresses. Essentially, when parents communicate well with their little ones, the kids grow up equipped to handle communication in their future relationships in a healthy way.  

At the same time, it’s very easy for parents to have a negative impact on their children’s lives too. For example, if a kid doesn’t receive enough attention or love from their parents, they will grow up seeking or demanding attention from other sources. This could include acting out in school or constantly vying for attention from a romantic partner when they’re a bit older. Psychologists believe that emotionally distant moms and dads tend to raise kids with lower self-esteem who may be more aggressive and less social as well. The effects of being neglected as a kid don’t simply vanish when someone becomes an adult; there can be life-long repercussions.

That’s why the parents on this list deserve “Mom/Dad of the Year” awards. It may seem simple to keep kids clothed, bathed and fed, but providing the emotional support necessary for them to grow into healthy, stable individuals requires a lot of effort. Of course, time is not a privilege all parents have, if they’re in a situation where they have to work constantly to make ends meet. But when they do find the time for wholesome moments like those featured on this list, their kids will never forget them.

A great thing about the parents on this list is that they are likely shaping children and grandchildren who will continue to be wonderful parents. As humans, we learn by example, and if we see healthy relationships, we’re going to know how to repeat those healthy habits. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Rebecca Bergen, “Our parents' relationship is our first and most influential example of how to interact and communicate in a romantic relationship. How love was shown between parents is influential on the child." She explains that people who never saw their parents show affection might be uncomfortable with it when they start forming their own romantic relationships. On the other hand, if your parents gave you a lot of physical affection when you were young, you might innately know how to show that to your partners as well.

Dr. Bergen explained in an article for Brides.com that as kids, we learn essentially everything for our parents, so the behavior we see them model affects essentially every aspect of our lives. When we begin dating, we tend to mimic behaviors we’ve observed in our parent of the same sex and project thoughts about our opposite-sex parent onto our partners. Dr. Bergen notes that this can work in the opposite way as well. For example, a straight girl might not seek out a boyfriend who is exactly like her dad, but if she had a cold and emotionally unavailable father, she might purposefully seek out someone who isn’t like him. There’s no question that having great examples of parents helps individuals cultivate their own healthy relationships. 

Having involved parents can also benefit us when it comes to education as well. One 20-year-long study found that when parents make an effort to teach their kids social skills while they’re young, those kids grow up to be more likely to have a college degree and a full-time job by the time they’re 25. And if your parents made you do chores as a child? They were just looking out for your future career, as those who grew up having to help around the house tend to take on more responsibility at work, according to Julie Lythcott-Haims. Author of the book How to Raise an Adult, Lythcott-Haims told Business Insider, “By making them do chores — taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry — they realize, 'I have to do the work of life in order to be part of life. It's not just about me and what I need in this moment, but that I'm part of an ecosystem. I'm part of a family. I'm part of a workplace."

In a piece Whizy Kim wrote for Refinery 29 titled “The Life-Changing Magic Of Having ‘Good Parents’”, she consulted psychotherapist Dr. Dana Dorfman to discuss what good parenting feels like for children. “Almost through the cells of their body, they're taking in the experience of being loved, being appreciated, of being nurtured, of being supported, of being soothed,” she said. We all know children are like sponges, and they will soak up love and affection the same way they soak up knowledge or foreign languages. Dr. Dorfman also mentions the importance of unconditional love, so children never feel like they have to do something to earn or deserve affection. It’s important for them to feel safe and loved just as they are.

Another simple feature of the best parents is ensuring they always acknowledge and respect their children’s emotions. Dr. Dorfman notes that it can be easy to minimize or ignore what our kids are feeling when we’re busy, tired and stressed because they’re “just kids”, right? What do they have to worry about? But it’s important to understand that “to a child, whatever's distressing them is a matter of heaven and earth, and a parent should try to empathize with that”. "I think there's great value to parents being able to give validation or appreciation of the child's inner experience," Dr. Dorman says. "The parent can empathize and appreciate that the child is a separate person."

On VeryWell Family’s list of “What Makes a Good Parent”, one of their essentials is seeing our kids for who they are. It reminded me how a friend of mine who is a parent once told me that his eight-year-old was already showing distinct signs of his personality when he was about 6-months-old. And that personality has only become stronger over the last eight years, it has not changed. He told me that it’s important to let our kids be themselves, and to guide and teach them of course, but that we should never try to force them into personality traits or interests that just aren’t natural to them. As someone who doesn’t have kids, that was fascinating for me to hear. But one thing I’m sure of is that that father has done many things that would land him on this list of wholesome, loving parents.