Steelslady, I respect you for your standards! My beliefs are the same and the children were raised knowing where I stood.
Too many mothers and fathers want to be their kids friends. There are no rules or punishments and these kids have never been taught there are consequences for misbehaving. It is found in all socioeconomic classes, unfortunately.
How will this mother live with herself knowing that by helping her son mislead the police, he killed an officer? Is there any chance charges will be filed against her? Accessory before or after the fact?
Thank you, and I respect you as well for feeling the same way. There are times in a child's life when you are their worst enemy (in their eyes), that means you are doing your job right. It is much easier to give in and say yes than to say no and stand firm. There were times when I felt like the meanest mother, only to find out later on in years that not only was it the right thing to do, but a couple of my children thanked me for doing so. I know for a fact that one of those times, my child would have been arrested for being with a couple of mischief makers, had I backed down- and you know, to be honest, who's to say my child wouldn't have been in the wrong? Sometimes, kids do something that they know is wrong because their friends are doing it, and they don't want to appear chicken. One particular time, I let my son out with a couple of friends, and an hour later, he came home on his own. I asked him if he was ok, and he said "yeah, I'm good, I just didn't want to hang out with them tonight". I found out later, they were doing something wrong, and had they been caught, they would have been arrested- they got lucky. I was proud of him for coming home on his own, and after that, he stayed friendly with them, but didn't hang out with them again.
So, do the right thing, raising them. Forget being their friend- if that is why you are becoming a parent, get a dog or cat instead. Kids need lots of love, guidance, patience, and at times, an enemy raising them. Being their friend and covering for them can be very costly later on in their life. Not all kids will murder, but they will get involved in things they shouldn't, given too much freedom and encouragement.