The most important thing for me growing up, was the love and care I received from both my Mom and Dad. We all lived together and it was the best start I could have wished for.

It's understandable that things can't always work out for a couple, people can't always get on, or there are tragic illnesses or accidents that lead to single parent homes. In my opinion it's a shame for any child to grow up without both parents, however wonderful the single parent may be.

A very important consideration for being a good Mother or Father, should be making sure you're choosing a good Mother or Father for your child from the beginning. We often hear how terrible he or she was, and how the kids are better off without him or her, but you chose this person to be the parent of your child. Did they change that much, or did you simply not bother to get to know them properly in the beginning, or did you think they were wild but having a kid would tame them? I think the saddest example of this would be the girl who falls for the 'bad boy', thinking he'll suddenly want to be a stay at home Dad, although very often this man will already have random kids he throws money to now and again.

We also hear about the accidental pregnancies. As if there are people who don't know what causes a baby? If you take the pill and you're sick - use something else for the rest of the month. If you miss a pill, use something else for the rest of the month. Morning after pills if all else fails - they're not great but better that than a child before it can be properly cared for.

Marriage is still a good idea - if someone isn't ready to marry you, why would you think having a child with them is less of a commitment?

I recently read comments written by a man bragging about being a wonderful father. "I've never missed a payment or fogotten a birthday for any of my kids", he was then applauded for his greatness at fatherhood in a string of comments.

Is this what we've come to? A great Dad is one that pays his CSA on time and sends birthday cards? It's sickenning. My Dad came home to us every night after work, took us places every weekend, was there at night if I woke up scared, upset or poorly. My Mom was there too - I never had to worry about anything.

I put lots of blame on the TV and media in general. Aside from the disgusting examples we see in the soaps (using the "we're just reflecting reality" excuse), there's the celebrity marriage failures shoved in our faces 24/7. There's also the book and film characters, where all the interesting people come from a broken home - because it's cool.