It's tough being a parent. Sometimes you just want to be your child's friend. You want to be the parent your kids and all the other kids think is cool. Unfortunately, being good, responsible parents doesn't allow us as many opportunities for friendship as we might like. This applies to enforcing a curfew as well.

You'll hear all kinds of excuses as to why the curfew is far too early. Everybody else gets to stay out later; all the fun stuff happens after I have to come in, the other kids think I'm a baby because I have to be in so early, the list goes on and on. No matter what everyone else thinks, you have to be firm in enforcing a curfew. There are many reasons why this is true.

-You need to know when your child will return. If your child doesn't have a curfew or you are lax in enforcing one, you won't know when to expect your child. If something happens to him or her, you might not know until hours later. If you have a curfew and your child is more than a few minutes late, you can start making calls or looking for your child.

-You don't want your child to spend too many hours unsupervised. If your child is out with friends, without adult supervision, he or she can get hurt or into trouble. Limiting the amount of unsupervised time is a good way to help keep your child safe and out of trouble.

-It builds character. Abiding by a curfew helps teach your child that punctuality is important. It teaches him or her to be reliable and responsible, and to be where he or she is supposed to be at the appointed time.