Helping Children By Helping Parents

I truly believe that one of the best was to teach children pro-social skills is to help parents handle behavior issues, but lately I've been wondering about this. What makes one parent better able to handle behavior problems? As I look around my neighborhood, I am amazed how some parents just seem to know the right thing to do. I don't remember being that competent at their age. Of course I have my own ideas and I'm sure there is no one right answer, but I'm interested in what others think. Once we know what makes one parent better able to handle problems, we can teach those skills to other parents. So what do you think? I recently had one parent tell me, she felt she was a better parent because she learned from the mistakes made by her own mother. Sometimes, I think it has more to do with how a parent feels about him or herself. If a parent is feeling competent and capable, he or she is better able to be consistent. But, I also know some people who feel pretty competent, but I wouldn't want to imitate their methods. So join in the discussion and comment on what skills, traits, experiences, or competencies do you need to be better able to handle behavior issues?