Should Parents be their children friends, or just a parent?

If you are looking for someone with a little expertise on this subject, then here I am. I think I have as little as anyone. So, I shall dare to offer my opinion speaking not from a wealth of knowledge but from a lifetime of experience.

Today, as an adult looking back at my years as a child growing up, learning about life, and shaping some sort of a code of ethics to guide me in making decisions, I realize that I was not in need of friends. I had plenty of friends but only two parents. My opinion: a child needs parents more than they need friends.

Q.

Honestly, the best is to have a mix of friendship and parenting. Normally, young children need more of the parent side. Starting to grow up when they make some of there ow choices, its best to be a friend to help teach them indirectly how to be friends with others. As they start becoming teens, they should have more rights and less parenting, although the parenting part must be strict in some cases. When the child matures into a 17 or older teen, they should be more treated as a friend being an adult, although in the end make sure they know no matter what age they are, that you are always there parent.

~thranax~

This is so delicate...parents must never do anything that jeopardizes the child's trust and respect for them. Parents must know that their own behaviors will definitely affect the mental stability of a child. So parents must be mentally stable. You can be an effective parent by communicating, and being supportive to encourage a good relationship with your child. If you try too hard to be 'friends' you run the risk of losing trust and respect. If that becomes the case parents may then have a very difficult time when trying to recapture the respect of the parent role as the child ages.

I PERSONALLY THINK IT IS GOOD FOR THE CHILD TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEIR PARENTS, AS IN MY OPINION I FEEL LIKE I CANT TALK TO MY PARENTS NEVER COULD WHEN I WAS YOUNG OR EVEN NOW AND IM 22, DONT GET ME WRONG IM CLOSE TO MY MUM AND I WOULDN BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT HER BUT IV ONLY EVER SEEN HER AS A MUM,

KIDS FIND IT EASIER TO TALK TO SOMEBODY THEY DONT KNOW OR TO A FRIEND,

IM STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AT THE MOMENT SO I KNOW HOW A CHILDS MIND WORKS! JUST LET YOUR CHILD KNOW TAKE THEM TO ON SIDE AND SAY "I KNOW IM YOUR 'MUM' OR 'DAD' BUT IM ALSO YOUR FRIEND ASWELL AND YOU CAN TALK TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING", AND JUST ASURE THEM THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR THEM, ITS EASY IT WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THE CHILD FEEL HE/SHE CAN TALK THE PARENTS!

HOPE THIS HELPS! X

i think that a parent should be there kids friends too so that the kids will know that they can come to you for anything but still be a parent!

From a teenagers point of view

A parent should be able to distinguish the appropriate time from being a parent and saying no, to being a friend.

For example, girls need their mum to be their friend, but be able to parent them at the same time.

Being close to your parents is valuable.

Saff