Introduction: In recent decades, the conditions in Sweden for parenthood for persons with intellectual disabilities have changed. However, there is little knowledge about how Swedish parents themselves experience their parenthood. The purpose is to understand the aspects that parents consider central to their parenting and, how the community's support is experienced. Methods: The empirical material consists of interviews with parents with intellectual disabilities. Results: Parents strive to be “regular” parents. Being a responsible parent is described as an ideal. It is common that they receive practical and financial support from relatives. Community support has a major impact. Support efforts based on strengthening own parental abilities and compensating for deficiencies tend to be helpful and reduce dependency. Efforts aimed at monitoring parenting are, however, experienced as stressful. Several of the parents' children are taken into custody. Depending on whether custody decision is done by coercion or by consent, affects the subsequent relationship between parent and child. Implications: Their preoccupation on parenting ideal, indicates that they feel limited in deviating from the norms. Successful community support should consider support from relatives, be based on the parents' abilities and compensate for their limitations. The establishment of basic trust appears to be a key component.