I often think about how most people only look at their parents lives from the point they became parents to now. I admit it is hard for me to imagine my parents in their youth and when I look at photographs it does not look like them, while at the same time it does.
This leads me to wonder how my children will see me. (hehe I have children, still seems surreal) Will they ask me about my pre baby life? Or will they not want to know about my wild youth? My daughter already asks me everyday for tattoos that match mine. Which makes me think of when I got tattoos and people said, “what will you tell your children when they ask for tattoos?” Well this is what I told her, I said when you are 18 you can get a tattoo and then I took a marker and drew a matching tattoo on her foot. She then screamed and went wipe it off! Parenting success.
I have such amazing stories to tell that I hope my daughters want to hear them. I even have the lofty hope that they will learn something from them. But, the notion that I should hide things I have done or pretend to have always been the perfect adult specimen I am now would be foolish.
When I would ask my mother about her youth, she would get very upset and try and claim that she had never done anything foolish outside of the story she tells about wearing black leather pants. Which only made me feel less connected to her. If you cannot tell someone your stories, can you truly say you have any kind of relationship with them? Honestly, I don’t think so.
Who do you tell your stories to?
nevercontrary 
I guess I tell my stories to whoever will listen. That’s probably why I have a blog.
I think that is a small part of why we all have blogs, we are some fantastic story tellers!
I guess I tell my stories to whoever will listen. That’s probably why I have a blog.
I am one of those people who spill my guts to everyone about everything… A rather dangerous character trait at times… I have learned to be a little more careful but the Internet probably doesn’t thank me for my rambling…
I used to be, then I turned it off cold turkey after a night of foolish secret sharing. Now I blog instead:)
My kids’ favorite stories are of me when I screwed up and survived (I do limit stories to be age appropriate). I goofed a lot as a kid and adult a lot. If nothing else, it has made my kids question whether their mom has another good “oops” story to tell when they think they’re about to do something stupid themselves. See? They’re learning already. Can’t wait to get to the teen ones. Oh boy.
You should be blogging these stories!
Stories I have. What I really need is a personal secretary!
Hmm good point Time for a new blog with a new alias to get these stories on paper while there’s still some long term memory left!
Yes!
Great post! I have 2 preschool age boys and I often think about what I might tell them about my life – especially when they get older. My leaning is to be open – I did a lot of things good and bad and have clearly lived to tell the tales….but I also want them to be able to make their own difficult choices and not *obviously* influence them (while clearly secretly influencing them to make the choices I think are best). I’m glad my kids are only 2 and 3 and I have some time to refine this strategy.
If you figure it out let us all know.