I'm not their buddy, I'm their parent: mum's 'truth bomb' video gets 38m views

"All three of my kids are mad at me right now, for like, different reasons. And you know what? I don't care... My child's wellbeing is more important to me than their opinion of me," Kristina tells us.

Her tip to parents who just can't deal with difficult kids and are tempted to give them what they want just to keep them quiet? "Don't give in. Hold your ground."

And to parents who want to be best buddies with their little ones - her thoughts on this are unequivocal:

"If you're... 30, 40 and your best friend is 8 years old, that's just weird."

Watch the video

The reaction

The video's had – wait for it – 38 million views, and has generated more than 30,000 comments but viewers are on both sides of the fence with this one.

"Yes, yes, yes! Our children have many friends but only one mum and one dad. Friends come and go, but a mum and dad are critical to a person's wellbeing throughout their entire life, " says one fan.

But others took issue with Kristina's adamant approach.

"While this mum is amusing, I find her mentality is a bit narrow. Rather than boasting that you don't care what your kids think of you for parenting them, how about helping them understand why certain rules exist?

"I agree a parent should set limits and stick to them... give positive reinforcement for adhering... and never give in to bratty/whining attitudes.

"You can be a parent/guide but still be a 'friend' in the sense of being a safe haven, a fellow adventurer, someone who will have your back always... even if it means disagreeing with or temporarily angering your kid.

"As long as that's followed by processing it/learning something from it, instead of just saying, 'I'm the parent, that's the way it is, I don't care to hear what you think'."

And some thought Kristina was just plain wrong:

"I disagree. Your children SHOULD most certainly like AND LOVE you! You should also be 'friends' with them but teach them there is a line and to respect it.

"My daughter tells me everything about her and her friends, she tells me what she does when she's out... even sends pictures with her friends of whatever they're doing.

"We do things together and laugh and have inside jokes and enjoy time with each other. She also obeys curfews, is responsible, does chores, does not talk back or give attitude.

"She respects her elders, and is very polite. So yes, you CAN be 'friends' AND parent your child. You just need to balance and establish a clear line."

Hmmmm, lots of opinions there.

What do you think?

Is Kristina spot-on with her parent-not-friend approach? Or do you think you can be both a buddy and a parent to your child? Tell us in the comments below or over on Facebook

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