Parenting is seen as an intimidating job to a lot of people. It is the responsibility of bringing up a child properly, to make him an independent, responsible and happy individual. And it is a tough job because sometimes you have to be authoritative to get the job done. Children can be pesky and disobedient and therefore, being strict with them can be useful in forcing them to be disciplined. But not a lot of parents have considered the option of being best friends with their child! Being friends with you child may not necessarily mean that he will not obey you when he has to. So lets take a look at the advantages of being good friends with your child! Every Child Needs a Friend Growing up can be rough process for a child. All of us remember the numerous things we had to learn, little mistakes we made, and the many times that we needed help or advice. There are a lot of issues that children do not talk to parents about. This is because they are scared that the parent will get angry and scold them. Young children can be very scared of being reprimanded, which makes them remain quiet on many of their own problems and issues. And some of these problems could be ones that require urgent attention. If your child is facing trouble in school or at home, he may not be able to discuss it immediately if you do not have a free and open relationship with him. Children think a lot before they talk, if they have strict parents. For example, problems like studies, bullying, sexual abuse etc, need to be nipped in the bud. If your child is having trouble with understanding his subjects in school, he may wait till the exam results to come out before he confesses to his problem. Similarly, bullying can be horribly traumatic for your child. Similarly for other issues like peer pressure, first love, etc, if he is unable to discuss them with you, it may affect him in the long run. And such situations can be avoided by having good communication with your child, by being friends with him. Be Friends with Your Child Being friends with your child can make him a confident, secure person. A lot of parents do not identify with the lifestyle of their children, but it is vital that you make an effort to. It may not be easy to tackle the generation gap, but doing so can have its advantages. Allow your child space for mistakes so that he feels that it is alright to make mistakes as long as he learns from them. Resist the temptation to correct him all the time. Also, listen with interest when he tells you about his day. Teach him to learn from his mistakes and also teach him good values so that he is able to take well-thought decisions. Let him know that you will always be there for him and that he can trust you enough to tell you his problems. Treat him as an individual when you discuss issues with him, so that he can realize it himself, if he is in the wrong. By being friends with your child, it is not only his problems that he will share with you but also his most special secrets. This translates into many happy moments spent together as a family. So go ahead and have that happy home you always wanted... be best friends with your child!