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You have to be the parent; you can't be their friend.

I think it is important to be a friend to your kids. But it is also equally important to set boundaries. My mother was a strong influence, and so was my dad. My mom was my friend whom I couldn't cross.

You want to be a good parent and you want to be a friend, and it's hard to be both. You have to balance it as well as you can.

I don't plan to take a formal, cold approach with my children, but I expect a lot. I don't want my children to view me as their best friend. I want to be their mom.

Parents are trying to be friends with their kids rather than draw the line and tell them what proper public behavior would be.

I won't say I am a strict mother, but discipline is important. Timing and routine are important for kids.

I don't know if I'm a strict parent or a pushover.

My mom was very strict when I was growing up. I could not talk to boys until I was 18. I had to study and work hard.

We're living in a time when parenting is not at all mirroring the way I was parented. For me, I just followed my parents around on their errands; when they were busy on the phone, I was quiet. It's a different kettle of fish these days: They run the house, and you listen to their music, and you go to their appointments.