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I have an 18 yo son and a 16 yo daughter and this subject comes up occasionally. So far we haven't had to worry about their drinking or drugging, and it may have something to do with how both our pasts have been part of our teachings, age-appropriate, of course. We both come from alcoholic families though were blessed never to become alcoholic ourselves, but we've shared some of our expeirences from the standpoint of how they made our lives more complicated. We strive for simplicity in our family, and they can see how immoral behavior almost always makes for a more complicated life. At 18 and 16 they both just tasted wine for the first time (other than church) this Christmas and none of their friends drink, or even smoke. They know their grandmother died of emphysema.
They also know that my life changed drastically when their oldest brother was born 37 years ago when I was 18, and also that both their father and I have struggled hard all our lives because of not going to college. For every "but you came out okay" there's the answer that it could have been so much easier to get here had we made different choices, and making the right choices is what it's all about, isn't it? |
Sharing your past - Lee
