Positive Parenting is based on several principles. And while you may be familiar with many best practices of positive parents, here are three things you might not know!

1. Positive Parents DO NOT Just Want to Be Friends with Their Kids

As a positive parent for 9 years now, I want to discuss this idea that I just want to be my children’s friend. While it is true that friendship is an aspect of the positive parent/child relationship (and an important one), the idea that I only want to be buddies is completely FALSE.

The Friend I Am Not:

• The Negligent/Anything Goes Friend
• The Share All of My Adult Problems Friend
• Overprotective Helicopter Parent/Friend

The Friend I Am:

• A Good Listener
• Accepting
• Respectful

This aspect of friendship is one beautiful thread in the tapestry of our parent/child relationship. Don’t try to unravel it by pulling just the one thread. There is so much more. I am so much more. My children will have many friends throughout their lives, but they will only ever have one mother. Our relationship is entirely unique, and I’m proud to say that friendship is a part of it. 

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