Now, there tends to be a negative connotation around parents who often refer to their children as their best friend. And guess what? I am one of them. My daughter is absolutely my best friend, and I will gladly sing it from the mountain tops for all to hear.

At the moment, parents are divided into two sides. There are the parents that are so worried about being parents, they can’t risk ruining that by being their child’s best friend. Then there are the parents that are so worried about being their child’s best friend, they forget to be a parent. But that’s not all there is, there is another option! 

Remember, it’s all about balance. Being your child’s best friend is great, it’s amazing! But you have to be their parent too. They need you as their guide to know what’s right and what’s wrong, and how to navigate the crazy world we live in. You also need to have that best friend complex, so that when they do mess up, they come straight to you, instead of trying to hide it from you.

Parenting is a never ending balancing act, and this is just another situation to add to the mix. Do you agree with being both their parent and best friend? Or are you still set on tipping only one side of those scales?

Written by Gabrielle Hatten for her blog, theunpretentiousmommy.