[The Rebbetzen gives advice on parental authority.]

If you are your children's "friend" it means you are abdicating the responsibility of being their mother and educating them.

[...]

And more than that, if they consider themselves on the same level as you, they will feel it perfectly acceptable to tell you that they disagree with you because you are old-fashioned and don't understand them. They will also feel free to criticize your point of view, tell you where you've gone wrong, what you should be thinking and even more what you should be doing; they will not be ashamed to tell you, because they will genuinely feel that way, that they are right and you are wrong.

[...]

Children should be allowed to voice their opinion only when YOU feel it is appropriate, and only within the framework of the parent-child relationship.

Children must be raised with the basic understanding that parents are wiser than they are and understand better what is best for them in all areas and walks of life, and this must be done right from the beginning.

This includes not apologizing when you have done something wrong in the child's eyes (and even in your own); if you want you can explain why you have acted in a certain manner but not in such a way that it sounds as if you are justifying yourself.

You should also not always explain to your children why you want them to do something; if you always give them an explanation it "teaches" them that they only need to obey you when they understand the reason for it. By not explaining everything they are learning that they must obey their parents simply because it is part of kibbud horim - and because parents know best!