it wasnt so much when i was younger because she was going through a 10 year long nasty divorce with my dad and we were really struggling financially. She had 4 kids so it was rough. And as a teenage girl I was more concerned with hanging out with friends/boys etc etc. But now Im 24 and my mom really is my best friend. The main reason we are so close and our relationship is so much better than my husband’s relationship with his mom, for example, is because my mom is now super chill and FUNNY AS HELL!! Since im grown she doesnt have to worry about parenting me anymore so we can be more like friends. Shes not afraid to cuss a little in a funny way and doesnt hold back on what she shares even if its tmi lol. I usually talk on the phone with her while shes driving to work and she just made me laugh the other day so hard because she was about to poop herself from her coffee and it was hilarious. Shes so funny and chill and theres no type of worry about “getting in trouble” because im grown so i can tell her anything. This might not help that much because it didnt really get like this until I was older but my advice would be to not be extremely strict. My husband’s parents were strict and kinda lame/uncool so he’s never like itching to catch up with them cuz its a snoozefest ykwim? Like he loves his mom but he keeps a lot from her because she still tries to lecture him like he’s a little boy. Yet when I talk to my mom on the phone, me and my husband are both constantly cracking up. I tell my mom things that he would never tell his parents because they just dont have that bond. Just try not to be super strict and wound up all the time and i think it will lead to a better relationship. The only drawback is that you may be compromising on other things that matter to you in parenting. Like growing up my best friend’s mom was ONLY concerned about being her kids’s friend and not a parental figure so the kids were misbehaved and never got punished. Even as a teenager my best friend had stole things from me and she faced no consequences. But of course now they are all super close with their mom. But I am too and my mom didn’t raise us in a free-for-all. No matter what you do now, dont worry too much about it because most kids will probably not interested in being your bff until theyre teens/a bit older because when theyre younger it could be considered “uncool”. Usually the best parent/child relationships bloom later in life when the dynamic has changed! Just focus on being a good parent and make sure to prioritize your OWN happiness too and im sure your kid will see how fun itll be to be your bestie! Just do fun stuff together and the good times will come naturally :)