Should You Reveal Your Mistakes to Your Kids?
I started a little game with my kids recently called "Ask Me Anything." I'm a pretty open Mama and I have never been one to hide the mistakes of my past, but sometimes I question if that's the right choice.
My mother was exactly the opposite. I didn't know hardly anything about her dating past, lessons she had learned, mistakes she had made, nothing. She said that stuff was private and she had moved on from the past, but I think differently.
I started thinking about this because Wendy Williams just shamed Jessica Simpson for sharing her memoir with her 8-year-old daughter. The book entails her battle with alcohol, her marriage to Nick Lachey, etc. Williams said it wasn't appropriate for an 8-year-old.
I have heard two thoughts on this. Some say you shouldn't share because it will give your kids the excuse to say "...but you did it Mom!"
Others have shared my train of thought that I don't want my kids to think I am perfect. I want them to know I am human and they can come to me if they mess up.
I'm curious. How do you handle mistakes of your past and your kids? Do you tell or not tell? If you have older kids, how did that choice work out?