大象传媒

With the emergence of different parenting styles like attachment parenting and free-range parenting, the line between being a parent and a friend is becoming increasingly blurred.

Some parents think being a friend to their child will make parenting easier, that the child is more likely to do what they want because they are friends. Others believe this strategy will confuse the child and that children need firm boundaries.

Angela Mutanda explores some key questions: how do I find the right balance between parenting and friendship when it comes to my child? Will being a friend to my child make parenting easier? What are the dangers of being a friend to my child rather than a parent?

She meets a mum-of-two, a 14-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son, who is struggling to find the best way to parent each one and looking for advice from the experts.

The Guests:
Catherine Hallissey, chartered psychologist based in Ireland
Jennifer Symonds, Associate Professor of Education, University College Dublin
Alun Ebenezer, founding headmaster of Fulham Boys School, London
Jenny Warwick, BACP registered counsellor in Sussex.

Producer: Mohini Patel