What is the ideal relationship between parents and children? This relationship should be more severe, parents imposing their terms automatically, or should it be a friendship? In the latter case, if the child benefit from parents' indulgence and do something stupid? I know that the situation varies from case to case, but I speak in general. My husband and I get ready to be parents again, we want to adopt for the first time, and therefore we want more opinions. So, what do you think?

I think there has to be a balance between being a child's parent and friend.

I think that as parents the whole "I AM THE AUTHORITY AND YOU BETTER GET USED TO IT" is not effective in this day and age. I do think that you need to be your child's best friend in a way..You have to try and relate to them. I don't think telling your kids NO and only NO is going to stop them doing what they like. I think compromising between what you want for them and what they want for themselves is the way to go. My mum is my best friend and I never did anything wrong or overstepped any of her rules because I had deep respect and love for her; not in a SCARED OF HER way but in a I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO MAKE YOU HURT sort of way. I lost my virginity at 18 to the guy I am still with today and is the father of my two girls; my mum didn't want me to loose it until I was at least 16 and then to tell me before I lost it and talk about how it went afterwards. She also gave me the advice of waiting until you are in-love. Well all I want to say is that she and I have the best relationship, I see her every second day and know that I want to be that sort of mum to my girls