Is it healthy when your kid is also your BFF?

Sometimes it’s good to model positive behavior about our own self care to our kids, and sometimes unloading our feelings on them can be way more than they’re ready for. Kent explores where to draw the line as he answers this quesiton:

“I have a question about walking the line between friend and parent. I’ve been divorced from my ex husband for three years, and my only daughter is 16. Her father and I have a civil relationship, and I make sure not to speak ill of him or his new girlfriend in front of her. In the last year or so however, I’ve begun dating which hasn’t been going great, and I’ve had some drama with friends who I have in common with my ex from our marriage. I find more and more that I’m confiding my feelings in my daughter more than anyone else. I’ve heard people say that it’s not good for your kid or you to have a relationship too buddy-buddy. What I want to know is: what kinds of personal, adult things can I tell my daughter, and where should I draw the line?”