It’s extremely important that you start using positive ways of communicating with you child right from the start. Before they can ever walk or crawl. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in punishment when they continually do something that you have tried to instruct them not to do. But even when this situation occurs, it is important that you make them aware of the fact that you still love them and believe in them.
This is the flip side to not being your child’s BFF. While you should not try to be your child’s best friend, you do need to develop a strong relationship with them. I am not saying that you need to be parent of the year; I am saying that you must be your child’s parent. As her parent, you will have a sense of authority that a best friend will not and cannot have. There will be times that this sense of authority will be absolutely critical.
Trying to be your child’s best friend is a major mistake. I am not saying that you should not be on good terms with them; it is extremely important that you are. But do not try to be their BFF. As their parent, you are in the position of having to make decisions that are in your child’s best interests. These can be decisions that your child may not like, but you must make them.
