"Well You Did it When You Were My Age!"

"Well you did it when you were my age."  If you have teenagers, no doubt you have heard these words.  Unfortunately, the sins of our past seem to revisit us when our kids hit the teenage years.  I've talked to a lot of parents who try to hide their past from their kids, or lie about what they really did and did not do.  I believe honesty is the best policy.  If you are a Christian now, you have a great testimony to share.  Talk to your teenager about the mistakes you made before Christ was truly Lord of your life.  Instead of trying to pretend you had a squeaky clean past, just be honest and talk about the negative consequences of some of your past decisions.  Tell them why you wish you had made other choices.  I've heard too many parents watch their teenagers make mistakes and say, "Oh well, what can I say, I did the same thing."  Part of parenting is helping your kids avoid the same mistakes you made.  Keep it real with your kids.  They will appreciate your honesty and will be better off because of it.