Do you think that a parent should also be their child's friend?

No, and I totally agree with you. My boys are 13 and 14 now, and if I would try to be their friend they would eat me alive. Being a parent means sacrifice, and that applies to the emotional level, too. They’ve got an uncle, he’s their best pal, they talk about him in the best possible terms, and they obviously love him. And I get jealous, and that hurts. But they see him every 6 month or so, and I guess he is their friend. I don’t have that luxury, I took on a task when accepting to have children, and, with a bit of luck, my boys and I will be friends when they are grown up. You said it all.

Hello my friend PeacefulWmn9 Ji, my hubby believes if shoes fit each other, parents should treat children as their friends. This system will make each other undersatnding better and there could be less collision. May god bless You and have a great time.

I'm a parent & a friend, but I'm a parent before I'm a friend. I think kids as they are growing up need to know that they have a friendship with their parents. I don't think it has nothing to do with how many friends a child has or not. The friendship you have with a parent is much stronger. So to answer your question... yes, I think the parent should also be a friend.

It should be, as a parent you need to be a friend of your child so that you can understand him/her emotionally and your child never hesitate to share secrets to you. My mum is my best friend forever, she never failed me.

I was not placed on this earth to be my childs friend I was placed here to be their parent. I think that is what is wrong with so many kids today, their parents try to hard to be their friends and do not parent them.

Yes they should be. It has a great impact towards the child's mental and emotional development with that understanding of letting them as a friend to their parents. I have read a few article regrading this and its very good and effective. This will be how good you could respond to your child what ever their problem is.

No. A parent is there to provide love, care, guidance, support, help - but not necessarily friendship. A child needs to be able to love, trust and respect their parent and this isn't always possible between friends. When a child reaches adulthood, the relationship will change and at that point it may become more friendly, but still I think that there is a strong difference between parent and friend that needs to be maintained. that isn't to say that you can't be friendly in your duties and responsibilities as a parent - it's just that both your child and you need to know where the boundaries are.

I agree that parents need to be parents and not blur the role they play in their children's lives. I think it's great when parents and children can have fun together, enjoy the same activities and do things together. But even through that, children need to know that their parents are not the same as their friends. When they are grown, it can be different, although I do believe that you are always a parent, even when you are no longer an authority figure.

Friends are contemporaries, usually of the same generation. Parents must be adults, in raising children there are often hard decisions to be made and a child that has the trust and knowledge that someone who loves and care for him will do this is a child who can just enjoy having his childhood. You are right a child needs a parent he has enough friends.

Hello PeacefulWmn; In some way. As an adult friend who knows to respect any human being whatever the age, color, culture, condition. And that kind of friend pretty much respects whatever is alive and the material stuff too. Doesn't mean that friend condonne any violations of any kind and will pretend not to see or hear... That kind of friend is also pretty ethical. And ususally, this type of friend doesn't consider friendship as a given thing; we don't own our friends. Why should we own our parents or children? They are individuals with all their rights. This said, a parent is still a parent. But, some friendship won't hurt. It could help the parent come through... in some situation. Best, Hurray In a nutshell.

Well, every parents should be their childs bestfriend whom they can trust and whom they can talk to. As for me my mom always not around then 1 thing that i want to change is that i wanted her to be my friend.

Yeah, parents should be their child's best friend too. They should help them and calm them down in times of need.

a parent should always be there for their kid. i totally agree. my mom is my best friend lol.

I would be a parent and friend to my young children.Children would never think that they have enough friends. Indeed they would like to have as much as friend because friend is equal to fun for them. As a parent, we need to be their friend so that we can know them better. Children will tell you everything if you are their friend.But if you are communicate with them as a parent they wont tell everything just like bullying other's kids, fall in love with classmate and etc. Because they know that you definitely will scold them. So, we need treat them as friend and help them. I really like to be my child's friends because i can share secret with them and no need to worry them will become bad. It is a win-win situation indeed. Enjoy to be parent an friend to my child.