jQuery: preventDefault on parent link only

SOLUTION: Found a solution. Used parentNode: ``` $('.skaftetopmenu-li > a').click(function(e) { e.preventDefault(); var subid = $(this.parentNode).attr('id'); if (subid !="forsidemenu"){ var str = $('#submenu-content-'+subid).html(); if ($.trim(str) == ""){ $('.submenu-content', this.parentNode).load('http://' + skafte.base_url + '/inc/top-menu-subs/'+subid+'_submenu.html'); } } }); ``` I have a menu like this: ``` <ul> <li class="parent"> <a href="url">Link title parent</a> <ul> <li><a href="url">Link title child</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> ``` I have tried the following in jQuery: ``` $('.parent').click(function(e) { e.preventDefault(); }); ``` However this disables all the elements in the whole menu structure. I want to only disable the parent links. The ones in "ul li", and not the links in "ul ul li", but I can't figure out how and I have searched and searched. So please help me out! EDIT: Thank you for the answers. I thought I would simplify my code in the question but that actually didn't benifit me. So heres the actual code I'm using: ``` $('.skaftetopmenu-li').click(function(e) { var subid = $(this).attr('id'); if (subid !="forsidemenu"){ var str = $('#submenu-content-'+subid).html(); if ($.trim(str) == ""){ $('.submenu-content', this).load('http://' + skafte.base_url + '/inc/top-menu-subs/'+subid+'_submenu.html'); } } }); ``` And the HTML: ``` <li class="skaftetopmenu-li" id="priser"> <a href="http://<?php echo DOMAIN?>/priser.php">Priser &amp; Sortiment</a> <div class="submenu-content" id="submenu-content-priser"></div> </li> ``` If I try to do as you suggest and set it to: ``` $('.skaftetopmenu-li > a').click(function(e) { e.preventDefault(); ``` It doesn't work..