With my first child, I had high expectations of myself and parenting. I wanted to make everything perfect, so I sterilized everything. Then, I sought and applied good advice, and hovered protectively.
With my second child, I relaxed some. By then, I realized I couldn't be perfect, and my goal for a well-behaved child was more than enough. Interestingly, my oldest is a bit more regimented and structured than my youngest. And though I believe environment probably influenced that outcome, it didn't determine their personalities or life choices.
Parenting is a challenge, but it's important to recognize in the beginning that you will make mistakes. This applies to step-parenting, too. You won't be perfect, just as no child ever is either. Best advice I followed was to always pray about everything for them.
I'm thankful for and proud of both of my children, but I attribute the blessing of who they are as adults to many prayers that God answered on their behalf, and ultimately their individual choice to follow Him.