The Core of Parenting: Instilling Values For Holistic Development The primary purpose of parenting is to boost fully functional adults who can look out of themselves and make a positive contribution to society. Generally speaking, this should be accomplished by eighteen. After this age, parents have less verbal influence but can still be a positive model through actions, not words. According to Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development, the sixth stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation, does not begin until after eighteen. When an adult breaks away their family and peers, they will then form a healthy attachment to a different person. Here are some examples of a fully functional adult.…