High Maintenance Mom

There have been a flurry of "cool mom" reports on the news lately and they got me thinking about something my Mom said to me when I was young. She said, "I am not your friend, I am your Mom". I was hurt when I heard those words but now that I am a parent, I understand what she meant. My Mom (and Dad) wanted to be there for me to talk to but they also had to guide me into adulthood so I could make good decisions on my own. It is my opinion that it is a parents "job" to teach their child/children how to be a responsible, loving, well rounded adults who can contribute to society in a positive way and not how to be cool, liked by the popular crowd and not be their child's best friend.... The news reports of parents buying alcohol for their under aged kids is ridiculous. Sure, they may get it somewhere else but it is up to you to teach them about alcohol laws, the effects of drinking at any age and why you cant and wont buy it for them. As a matter of fact, it is up to you, as their parent to teach them almost everything so that they can handle situations such as drinking, sex, etc when you are not there. Your role is not to be their "friend" but to be their teacher. I think it is possible to reach your child on a friend like level and still be the kind of parent who can uphold rules. So you feel like an over the hill geek for that moment but you have your self respect, the respect of your child (in the long run anyway) and you wont end up in jail for murder because the alcohol you bought your son or daughter caused the drunk driving accident that killed an innocent person. So, the next time you want to be liked by your child, think about what they are liking you for, buying them alcohol, hosting what will likely be an inappropriate party or turning a blind eye to drugs. It isn't worth it for anyone. If you need to be liked so badly....get a dog.