Parenting packs plenty of ups and downs, but as kids go from tykes to tweens to teens, those downs can bring a lot of love — but not a lot of like.
And according to mom-of-three Kelly Ripa, who's currently on her 13-year-old daughter's don't-like list, that's just fine.
"[Lola] recently lost her computer and phone privileges, so it's like taking away oxygen," Ripa explained during a recent visit to The Wendy Williams Show.
Turns out the teen broke one of the house rules — no texting or tweeting during study hours.
"I don't think she likes me, but I don't care," Ripa said of the fallout following the punishment. "I'm like, 'I'm not your friend! I'm your mom.'"
And Ripa, who's also mom to sons Michael (17) and Joaquin (11) , isn't about to change her parenting style just because one much-loved child isn't feeling the love.
"I just feel like an obligation, as her mom, to keep her living in the real world," the "Live! With Kelly and Michael" co-host explained.
On Friday, the TODAY gang gave Ripa's comments careful consideration, and new mom Savannah Guthrie is clearly Team Kelly.
"To be friends suggests that you're equals, and you don't want to have that relationship," she said. "Somebody's got to be the parent."
But with little ones ranging from just three months to 5 years, Carson Daly wasn't so sure.
"I want them to look up to me and like me, so they can emulate the things I do," he offered.
As for Willie Geist, with a 5- and 7-year-old at home, he's right in the middle of the mix on this one.
"We're still at the buddy-buddy hero phase," he said. "But we know war is on the horizon."
Al Roker's philosophy? "I'm not your friend; I'm your father."
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