Princess Beranjak Remaja, Ben Kasyafani Choose to Be "Bestie" for Sienna

JAKARTA - Actor and presenter Ben Kasyafani shared his views on parenting in the modern era. Along with his daughter, Sienna Ameerah Kasyafani, who is now a teenager, Ben feels the need to change his role from a father to a best friend or "bestie".

"Maybe in the current phase we decide what we are... what are his parents, what is his best friend? Well now it seems like I'm deciding to be his bestie, right?" said Ben Kasyafani in South Jakarta, not long ago.

He took this decision because he realized that the way to educate teenagers could no longer be in a way that restricts.

"It's true that we protect it, but protecting it is the way it is now, it's not possible to do that," he explained.

For him, the key to maintaining a relationship with a teenager is to build trust. He wants Sienna to always feel comfortable being able to tell him anything.

"Now it's more about... maintaining trust and keeping him happy to chat with his father," said Ben.

To be able to achieve this, he tries not to be a judgmental father. He prefers to be a good listener to every Sienna story.

"Sometimes he tells me that 'eh it seems like it's not right for me to be possessive', but we just listen to it. For me, it's enough to be happy," he said.

He didn't even hesitate to tease Sienna about love affairs. All he did was to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

"'Ciee... tuh cakep tuh' gitu. Jadi kayak bestie-nyalah gitu supaya... sebenarnya itu menyampaikan bukan disuruh 'ayo pacaran', enggak gitu juga. Tapi menyampaikan kesan bahwa gue friend nih," ceritanya.