JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="http://ajax.microsoft.com/ajax/jquery.validate/1.7/jquery.validate.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.8.2/themes/ui-lightness/jquery-ui.css">
Click on the blue text for the index of the parent
    
<ul>
    <li><a>zero</a></li>
    <li><a>one</a></li>
    <li><a>two</a></li>
    <li><a>three</a></li>
</ul>
<ul id='target'>
    <li><a>zero</a></li>
    <li><a>one</a></li>
    <li><a>two</a></li>
    <li><a>three</a></li>
</ul>

CSS

#target {
    color: blue;
}

JavaScript

$('#target li a').live('click', function() {
    var index = $(this).parent().index();
    alert(index);
    return false;
});