Do you know how when your kids were little (under 9) and they would ask questions like "where do babies come from"? or "is the tooth fairy real"?  you would squirm and think of something to say really quick that didn’t make much sense? That was me many times. I am now learning how important it is to be very honest when asked  questions from my teens.The article Helping Your Teen Make Responsible Choices at Palo Alto Medical Foundation really has some good tips…….

"Being at a
party where alcohol and other drugs are available … being pressured
to have sex.. being pressured to join a gang… These are serious
situations that teens face. As a parent, you wish you could always be
there to protect your teen from situations that could hurt him or her,
but it doesn’t always work out that way. As your child grows older,
parenting is less about control and more about offering direction. By
sharing your time, experience, values, and love, you can help your teen
make healthy choices."

Let’s face it, our teens are faced with so much and helping them get through the years is a job in itself. What I have found to work so well in my house is plain and simple honesty. I do not sugar coat anything, I let them know the realities of their actions. I tell my boys (12 & 14) that life is all about their choices and the choices that they make now can affect their whole life.

I know that they will make mistakes along the way, but I also hope that they stop and think before they choose to do something wrong. I hope that they know they can come to me or their father about any situation. If I can accomplish this, I have done a good job.