Parenthood has changed a lot over the last fifteen years. With trends affecting everything from the number of moms who work to the attitudes of today’s kids, it seems the family has been changing in more ways than ever before. But according to a recent Reuters article, one of the most alarming new trends is the number of moms attempting to be their kids’ friends.

If you thought Dina Lohan’s questionable behavior vis-à-vis her trips to the clubs with Lindsay was an isolated incident, think again. Apparently this type of act is only a small part of what experts are now calling an “epidemic,” and it’s not only Hollywood mommy and me teams who are wearing matching bikinis or getting corresponding plastic surgeries. Because of parents’ busy schedules, a desire to avoid conflict, and kids who are growing up more quickly than ever before, more and more parents across the country are not only letting kids make their own rules, but treating them more like equals and friends than children.

Which might be why so many kids today have never heard the word “no.” Although many have blamed kids’ spoiled natures on consumerism and the need to always have the newest iPod or most high-tech video games, more of it may have to do with parents who encourage this kind of behavior because of a desire to be well-liked or popular.

Chris Rock’s mother, Rose, who recently published her own parenting book, can see the dangers of this type of behavior. "It is a new thing that everyone wants their children to like them, but parenting is not a popularity contest. I don't need to be a 12-year-old's friend but I do need to be their protector, guide and warden. This is just a cop out,” she said.

There’s no doubt that this style of parenting reinforces much of what some professionals claim is wrong with kids today – a lack of responsibility, a sense of entitlement, and a too-grown-up-for-their-own-good attitude. We’ve gone from helicopter parents to nonexistent parents, which means that middle-ground old-fashioned parenting is severely lacking. Maybe we should have paid more attention to our own parents after all.

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