For the last four, going on five, years I've been dating this guy who has two wonderful kids, a 13 year old girl and a 11 year old boy. He had his daughter when he had just turned 17 and his son almost exactly two years later.

The daughter and I have always had a good relationship, more like friends than a step mom/daughter like role which I love.

Lately I've been noticing the very inevitable attitude that comes with being 13 and a girl which comes as no surprise to me... what does though is my boyfriends lack of response when she lets her attitude shine. It seems he is far more concerned with being a friend to his daughter than being a father. While I agree you should have a good relationship with your kids parenting should come first. Now no one bite my head off, I'm not a parent and I'm not trying to speak as one. I have various friends who have children so this is just mirroring what I heard and think is a good idea.

It just feels like he is putting more effort into insuring his daughter likes him as a friend and maintaining that friendship than to be a tough parent. There has been a few times where she has spout off with something and growing up the way I did, I would have gotten near slapped on the face, phone taken away, computer taken away, tv taken away, etc. but he just lets it slide and looks at me weird and shrugs when I say "that was kind of sassy".

She can basically do no wrong. She's "daddy little girl".

He has even said multiple times he and her have a "special relationship" and has acknowledged his friendship with her being more important. He's friend first and parent second.

But of course, being the girlfriend and not the wife (not that I really believe it would matter anyway) I have no place to say anything because I'm not the parent and I have no right to talk about parenting.