Parents and children as friends.

A lot of children tend to think of their parents as enemies. When a child is at fault and their parents have no choice but to ground them over something they did wrong, this is usually the case.

Since parents always have the upper hand, is it possible for them to be 'friends' with their children?

This can be the result of two scenarios: 1) the parent has lost control of the child, so all that is left to do is to be friends with them, or 2) the parent chooses from the beginning to treat their child as their equal.

When I think about this, the television show Gilmore Girls comes to mind. This show centers around the relationship between a young mother and her daughter. The mother is so young that her daughter thinks of her as more of a friend than a parent / adult. They seem to have a positive, healthy relationship where the mother has more of the upperhand, but, they do seem to interact more as friends.

I think it is good for parents and children to have a bond like that. However, that is one of the negative aspects of being a young parent. There will always be the risk that the child won't take them seriously one day.