Table of Contents
Should a parent be a friend to their child?
Should you be friends with your child? Most experts agree that while parents can and should be friendly toward their kids as well as fun to hang out with, at the end of the day they still need to accept the role as parent and not as friend. Kids need boundaries, rules, and guidance.
Can adult children be friends with their parents?
Even so, it’s not impossible to become friends with your parents. “If parents can recognize that their child is a grownup, they can enjoy a true friendship,” says social psychologist Susan Newman, PhD., the author of Nobody’s Baby Now: Reinventing Your Adult Relationship with Your Mother and Father.
How do you respect your adult children?
How to Have a Good Relationship with Your Adult Children
- Let them go and respect new boundaries.
- Don’t offer advice unless asked.
- Give them positive feedback and validation.
- Find fun ways to spend time together.
- Don’t guilt them.
How can I be a good parent of adult children?
Parenting Adult Children
- Recognize and respect your differences.
- Share your wisdom and insight (without being critical).
- Setting boundaries with adult children.
- Do things you love together.
- Make room for significant others in their lives.
- Be a consultant, not a CEO.
- Be a sounding board for adult children.
Should I be friends with my child’s friends?
But if you try to be friends with your child, it comes at the cost of your authority, and it undermines your role as a parent. Practically speaking, your child can find another friend, but your child can’t find another parent. You and only you can be your child’s parent, and that’s why you need to be the parent and not the friend.
Is it possible to have a relationship with an adult child?
No matter what the situation, be persistent in pursuing a relationship with your adult children, recognizing that you may be closer to some of them than others. If your child is completely ignoring you and you’ve already attempted to ask why you may need to give them time and space.
Can a child find another parent if they have different friends?
Practically speaking, your child can find another friend, but your child can’t find another parent. You and only you can be your child’s parent, and that’s why you need to be the parent and not the friend.
Do parents have to respect their adult children and their spouses?
Parents must respect their adult children and their spouses, regardless of whether they like them or not, even if you have differing expectations about family roles. You do not get to choose whom your children love. Respecting your son/daughter-in-law does not mean condoning or agreeing.