"It's my job as a parent to cheerlead for my kids - I refuse to be their friend, it won't teach them to be resilient"

A mum says it's her "job" as a parent to be her kids' "cheerleader" and refuses to be their friend or a 'helicopter parent' as she says it won't teach them to be "resilient".

Meredith Masony, 43, doesn’t put a label on her parenting style and treats all of her children – aged 13, 15, and 17 – differently.

The mum-of-three has always wanted to take a seat back and 'sittervise' her children so they can play independently and "use their imagination".

Sittervising is a new trend in which parents supervise their children from a seated position while they play – and while Meredith says it’s has been around for decades she agrees with the principles.

She believes parents who “dote” on their children are not going to teach them “how to be resilient or get a job done”.

Meredith, a content creator and comic, from Jacksonville, Florida, US, said: “If you’re your child’s playmate it detracts from the child’s ability to be resilient.

“This new term sittervising – I just call it parenting.

“Parents who dote on their kids. They will grow up with a feeling of entitlement.

“My job as a mum is to be that cheerleader.”

Having grown up in the 80s, Meredith takes a lot of her parenting style from her childhood.

She said: “I think growing up in the way we did in the 80s your parents were not there.

“You weren’t making your parents play with you.

“We were out roaming.

“You can’t parent like you did in the 80s.

“But there are quite a lot of strong parenting principles to give kids the freedom to go out and do things.

“For me personally my job as a parent is to let them use their imagination and play.”

Although her brood are now older, Meredith always let her children play independently rather than getting involved.

She “worries” about kids who are parented by a helicopter parent – a style of parenting where the mum or dad is are highly involved in the child’s life and play.

Meredith said: “Parents who want to helicopter – it’s not going to teach them how to be resilient or get a job done.

“You have to raise them to be self-sufficient.

“If you give them everything they want, they are going to have obstacles in the future.”

Meredith also refuses to be mates with her children.

She said: “The last thing I want is to be a child’s friend.

“I’m a parent.

“I make sure they are safe. I’m there to help.

“I can’t be friends with a 16-year-old. We have nothing in common.

“When these parents becomes best friends with their kid, I think ‘are you really sure?’

“Your best friend is someone you can share all that you are going through.”

Meredith says she parents her three children differently.

She said: “You treat your kids differently.

“They are three different people you can’t treat them the same.

“My first child potty-trained himself.

“My second child – she turned my life upside down.

“My youngest son – he was even more different – my little chameleon.

“Nothing about parenting is one size fits all.”

Meredith has been sharing comical and relatable videos about parenting for the last 10 years.

She said: “Trends make me laugh when they have been going on 50 plus years.

“Motherhood is very isolating and lonely.

“That’s why I started this.

“We’re doing the hardest thing in the planet."