Mistakes~

Parents make mistakes- and I don't try to hide mine.  Instead, I share them with my kids so they can learn too.  ~ L.L. Cool J


Did you ever flub up?  I have certainly made my share of goofs.  Mistakes are part of life.  Part of everyone's lives. Not just children, but the grown-ups in the world are living proof of this.  My husband and I decided at the beginning of our parenthood journey to be completely honest with our children.  That sugar coating or  lessening the truth of something would not be part of our philosophy.  This was never more apparent then in 2007 when our oldest son had to have his pacemaker replaced.  He wanted to know what was going to happen, so we were totally up front about it.  Some people said we shouldn't have told him what was going on, just to take him up there and have it done.   Can you imagine, the fear, or the mistrust he would have had of us ,and of trips then?  We've made financial mistakes in our family as well.  We  had some major difficulties and times were very tight.  We shared this with our children , too.  We are Christians and try to look at things from a spiritual point of view.  But , we also tell our boys that mistakes have earthly consequences too.  If you get stoned and wreck your truck, that 's pretty bad spiritually.  But , you will also have no ride, be injured, or injure someone else.  What you do , and the mistakes you make not only affect you, but also the people you care about.  Some people might think our honesty policy is overkill, and that children shouldn't know these things.  But this IS real life.  They will grow up and have their own problems, and make their own mistakes.  I hope that ours show them not only how NOT to live,   but how TO live. 


For us, honesty is the best policy~ Ruby Jeanette