Parents can be friendly and understanding while being firm.
When parents are firm and kind, children not only behave better but also feel better about themselves. Being kind is treating yourself and your children with respect. Being firm is simply knowing what your rules are and communicating your rules clearly and consistently. Many parents are at times too permissive and allow children to act inappropriately while at other times become too firm and dominate them. The key to being effective is to balance firmness and kindness at the same time.