Do as I Say I Shouldn't Have Done, Not as I Regrettably Did

The Motherlode parenting blog of The New York Times mentions a Hazelden study that says you should speak to your children "early and often" about past drug and alcohol use.

Our kids are 5 and 3, so they probably won't understand my warning about not drinking, when you're already very drunk, directly from a bottle of Jack Daniel's, nor will they comprehend my caveat that just because they sell shots of 151-proof Bacardi literally on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, you don't have to buy them, nor will they appreciate my bearing witness to the temptation and evils of the wine funnel.

But I suppose when they get to a certain age, they'll understand.

And why stop there? Why not reveal all aspects of regrettable or embarrassing behavior in order to impart life lessons they won't have to learn on their own? Like, don't touch the strippers. And, drinking doesn't make you a more focused driver. Meanwhile, your foot can get stuck in the toiler. Also, that gun is probably loaded. Read more...