This article is based on participant observation of adult education and explores how a group of parents, engaged in a parent education programme, responded to the parenting strategies that were provided for them. The aim was to investigate how the 'good parent' was represented in the programme and how the parents related to this ideal. An additional aim was to explore how parenting was related to gender. Overall, the parents appeared to accept the image of the ideal parent, but also challenged notions of a rational and professional parent – which can be associated with masculinity – by referring to parenting as related to emotionality and femininity.