Many parents nonchalantly refer to their children, whether babies or adults, as their “best friend.” It can be an offhanded comment about an infant daughter or a declaration to the room at your child’s 30th birthday party.
It’s a phrase that, generally, comes from a good place. But if a parent actually treats their child as a best friend, such as by sharing personal stories or swapping gossip, it can become a problem.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with you wanting to spend time with your child and [if] you find that you have fun hanging out with them, that is great, but when you are referring to your child as their best friend, that is a blurring of boundaries,” said Holly Humphreys, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks in Roanoke, Virginia.
This can cause the relationship dynamics to move from parent-child to parent-friend or parent-counselor, she noted.
“So, you’re actually putting your child into a different category when you say that they’re your best friend, and then that can lead into oversharing of personal details that your child should not know about,” Humphreys noted.
