Achieving an equal balance of friendship and parenting

Achieving an equal balance of friendship and parenting is the goal of every parent. We strive to befriend our children in hopes they will open up to us...allowing us access into their personal lives. Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen.

As parents, our primary duties are to love, lead, provide and discipline.  From the moment your child breathes air on their own, YOU (the parent) are responsible for preparing them for the world in which they were born. God made them especially for you.

A PARENT loving a child-- teaches them what it means to love...shows them what unconditional love is...and helps the child acquire the ability to love in return.  A PARENT leading a child--teaches them right from wrong...teaches them respect...and brings them up in the way God would want them to be. A PARENT providing for a child-- gives them the necessities....food, clothing, shelter and support. A PARENT disciplining a child-- spares the rod and spoils the child...holds them accountable for their actions...and DOES NOT uphold wrong.

They won't always like these things....and they won't always follow the rules. But as a CHILD they SHOULD respect it.  This is the time you exercise ur rights as a PARENT. They are NOT on an equal playing field.

No...Im not saying you can't be friends with your child. You SHOULD be. I wish that I could have talked to my parents about the things my kids talk to me about. (boys, sex, bullies etc) But, I didn't feel comfortable doing it.  Maybe if I did, I wouldnt have made such foolish mistakes. lol  Anyway....I AM a friend to my girls...we talk, laugh, hang out etc..... I give them advice and I allow them to voice their opinions. HOWEVER....there is a line.  They DO NOT and WILL NOT talk back to me. They DO NOT and WILL NOT argue with me. I AM the PARENT, they are the CHILD. And...if either one of them ever decides to try and cross those lines, I can guarantee you I will pop the SH&* out of them before they can finish their sentence. You don't have to like what I said or what I made u do, but you WILL RESPECT IT!  It works for me...and they know how far they can push me...Ive had the conversation...they know Im here as ur friend...but Im UR MOTHER FIRST...

It may not take even putting ur hands on them. These days, kids are so dependent on money and gadgets, you can hurt them just as bad by taking away their prized possessions :) kmsl  You have to remember though...these are your children...not ur friends. There is a difference...so exercise it.

  Mista's 13: There is a difference.... and if there's no confidential talk.... no honest and open communication between children and parents..... teenagers can become strangers in the house. Nevertheless, remember that "when there is no skillful direction, the people fall, but salvation in the multitude of counselors." (Proverbs 11:14) When our teenagers realize this ...... understanding that they still need skillful direction,  is the difference....... since they are facing more complex issues than before. Yes, the teen years can be exciting, but they can also be confusing.... both for parents and for teenagers. 

For some..... the teen years are turbulent. Because as adolescents we experience emotional ups and downs. And as teenage boys and girls become more independent, they may resent limits placed on them by us as their parents. So how can the lines of communication be kept open during these time........ well, think of it...... like this..... to help our teenagers to thrive?! Mista's 13... family bible study is essential for the family.... it's an outstanding help in communicating family and spiritual values to young people. Parents who follow bible counsel give their adolescent offspring the best possible opportunity....... to make their way successfully through those trials to responsible adulthood.