Who's more important the parent or the child?

[Brittany]

I'm watching Wife Swap and I wanted to see what other people think. Who's happiness is more important? The parents or their children? These women are so different. I have my opinion, but I want other people's opiions.

I want to explain the episode of Wife Swap. One mother didn't really have a life of her own. She did everything for her children and her husband. The other mother made her three kids share one small bedroom so she could have "HER" art room. I think they were both wrong, but I usually do. They have the weirdest women on that show....

[sharonsmineonly]

well that's hard to answer.
A child's happiness should be most important to the parents because the child didn't ask to be born and its the parents responsibility to raise a happy healthy child ~BUT~ an unhappy parent will have a hard time raising a happy child...which kinda makes them equally important.

[charliegirl]

My children's happiness comes ahead of mine and my husband's most of the time. I won't let my kids rule us and have whatever makes them happy just because they can, but if I had to choose between my children's needs and the needs of my husband and myself, the kids always come first.

I don't think either of them is the greatest mother but if the mom with the art room needed it so she could stay grounded and be a better mother, I would say she was the smart one. A mother who waits on her family like a slave isn't preparing the kids for their future. Chances are none of them will grow up to be happy because they are dependent on someone else to make them happy and take care of them. They won't have the sense of self worth that comes with knowing they can take care of themselves and do it well.