Do Good Parents Matter?

Of course, good parents matter, and of course, I try my best every day, realizing that every day I need to work at being a better dad. But a recent article in The New York Times suggests that good parents may not lead to good children. Here's the final paragraph:

For better or worse, parents have limited power to influence their children. That is why they should not be so fast to take all the blame — or credit — for everything that their children become. 

Certainly, there are large parts of this that make sense. I cringe every time I see or hear a person lose patience at someone else's parenting skills (or lack thereof). It's not easy, and each child presents unique challenges, some much tougher than others.
Can parents influence their children's behavior? Yes and no. That's a sobering thought.