1. Affectionate

Showering your child with love and attention is one of the best qualities of a great mother. More so than adults, children desire affection. In fact, sometimes children who misbehave do so in order to get attention. It is important that starting from a very young age, you build a strong loving relationship with your child that will last a lifetime.

2. Caring

The worst feeling that a child can have is abandonment. If you work full-time, be careful. Make sure that you not only shower your child with extra love, but make a great effort to show her that you care. Take your child out on the weekends, wake up early and make her breakfast, or read her a short story before bedtime. I know you may need that extra hour of sleep after a long day at the office, but your child should be a priority too.

3. Not Overbearing

While you want to love and care for your child, you should not be overbearing. You do not want to be that embarrassing mother in the movies who comes into her child’s class in high school with a brown bag saying, "Sweetie, you forgot your lunch!" If don’t want your child to resent you, keep your distance. While children need you in their lives, they need space. Independence is a crucial part of growing up!

4. Fun

Every mother wants to be the "cool mom." Bring out your inner child, and do something fun with your child. Take interest in your child’s life without trying too hard. Find out what he likes, or what the new trends are, and do them together!

5. Rule-Setter

Though it is important that you spend time with your child and engage in fun activities with them, it is equally important to stay authoritative. Make it clear that there is a boundary between a friend and a parent, and that your child must respect and listen to you regardless of how close you two are. Be sure to set rules and stick to them! After all, that’s what parents are supposed to do.

6. Good Listener

Every child needs someone to talk to, vent to, and get advice from. Be that person who your child can feel comfortable approaching! If you’re a good listener, chances are that your child will be more inclined to let you in on her life in the future.

7. Relatable

In addition to being a good listener, you want to be relatable. Don’t just give advice based on what you want him to do. Try to put yourself in your child’s shoes. Understand where he is coming from, and give advice based on that, combined with your personal life experiences if relevant.

8. Role Model

From birth, children look up to their parents for everything from behavior to hairstyle. It is therefore essential that you speak, act, and dress appropriately in front of your child. It may even be helpful to read a few parenting books on how to train yourself to be a good role model for your child. Be the inspiration in your child’s life. Whenever your child has a bad day, teach her how to either keep trying or move on, and motivate her to stay strong.

9. Accepting

There will be many times, if not already, when you and your child disagree. In such scenarios, I suggest that you be as accepting as you possibly can. In other words, when you two disagree on something, don’t be quick to reprimand him. First of all, sometimes parents need to remember that times change with each generation; so what was considered inappropriate a generation ago, can be appropriate today. Second, if you constantly lecture your child, he will want to rebel. Therefore, try as hard as you can to set aside your motherly feelings, and choose your battles.

Being a mother is not an easy job. Raising a child requires hard work and patience. Hopefully these lovable qualities of a great mother have given you a new perspective on parenting. Do you have any parenting advice? Are there other spectacular qualities that you, or your mother, have that you can share?