You have to be the parent; you can’t be their friend.
Meaning of the quote
As a parent, your most important job is to guide and care for your child, not to be their friend. It's important to set rules, give discipline, and make decisions that are best for your child, even if they don't always agree. By being a strong, responsible parent, you can help your child grow and learn, even if it means sometimes saying 'no' to their requests. Your role is to be a supportive figure who helps your child become a responsible and successful person, not a friend who just wants to have fun.
About Patricia Richardson
Patricia Richardson, a renowned American actress, is best known for her role as Jill Taylor on the popular ABC sitcom Home Improvement. She was recognized for her outstanding performance, earning multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Beyond her TV success, Patricia also received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in the film Ulee’s Gold.
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More quotes from Patricia Richardson
The truth is, I’ve been going pretty much nuts all year. I constantly have to fight being scattered. I feel like I’m on automatic pilot from fatigue. The hardest thing is trying to be present, living for the moment, for everybody in the family.
American actress
You have to be the parent; you can’t be their friend.
American actress
Instead of yelling and spanking, which don’t work anyway, I believe in finding creative ways to keep their attention – turning things into a game, for instance. And, when they do something good, positive reinforcement and praise.
American actress
I’d like us to deliver a little message to all the men still out there who think it’s the ’50s, and coming home simply means watching television with a beer.
American actress
I still get the kids to the doctor and dentist and plan their play dates and buy their clothes.
American actress
It was extremely hard going from being a parent of one to a parent of three, because now all these instant decisions have to be made about how you balance out the time and attention between them.
American actress
Good actresses can often accomplish miracles, and it is possible to be someone you’ve never been or will be. But in a sitcom, there’s no time.
American actress
They see me as being this Super Mom on TV who also can more than handle a difficult husband, and they assume I’m going to be just full of wisdom as a mother and wife myself.
American actress
But then my mother, who’s a very selfless, stoic person from a family of Marines, would tell us that what was good for our father was good for us – he would make more money; therefore, we’d be able to get better educations.
American actress
I don’t understand that, because I think that what people like most about the show is that they recognize themselves in the characters and their problems, so the more believable the family is, the more we can draw the audience in.
American actress
I know it’s a lot harder for women who don’t have enough help, but the truth is, no matter how much money you have, if you want to stay involved with your children and don’t want to lose being a primary parent to them, you’re still in the game.
American actress
Getting married and then having children just centered me and grounded my values. It was like a whole new world. It started happening in New York with a little play called Cruise Control, where I relaxed, and then I kept getting work in Hollywood till this series happened.
American actress
People who meet me think of Jill and transfer her strong qualities to me.
American actress
Tim on the show does a lot of that posturing, of course, and feels sort of threatened by women. But even at that, you do see him cooking, and ultimately he’s a good father because he spends a lot of time with the boys.
American actress