No. If I were their parent, they would listen to me without question, obey me accordingly, and respect me and their mother at all times. It shouldn’t be a 50/50 relationship between parents and their kids. I’m not my children’s “buddy”—-I’m their father, the one who takes care of them, provides for them, and protects them. I love them unconditionally, with all my heart, and I’m there for them all the time, but in return they must behave as my children, not as “little friends”.
I think the reason why some parents don’t care is because they’re like kids themselves. They are afraid to be parents and dish out discipline and authority, and would rather take the liberal approach of being their children’s “bosom buddies” than being responsible adult parents. American society has this problem of being overly concerned with “individual rights”, to the extent that the rights of children override the rights of adults to mete out their proper parental duties. That in itself is wrong.