How honest are you with your teens about your own teenage shenanigans?

[BigSandyBalls2015]

Drugs, sex, booze, bunking?

I think DH is sharing too much with our impressionable 14 year old DDs,
and trying to look like a cool guy with an exaggerated misspent youth

I took a few drugs in my youth. I had a lovely time.

I've been honest and said I enjoyed myself and that drugs were very pleasurable, that I can't stop them if they want to do them, but to be careful, everything in moderation.

Oh you are winding us up tk either that or they gave you permanent damage!

I divulge nothing!

I was a perfect teen so haven't got any shenanigans to hide

There's nothing I wouldn't tell them. I had an amazing time as a teen. Far better than them - so much more freedom. So many parties. Late nights. Travel.

Why would tkndnv be winding anyone up donajimena? Many people do take recreational drugs and have a lovely time, whether in their youth or when they are more mature. If it wasn't enjoyable no one would take drugs after all. I think its a much more sensible message than the prohibitionist scaremongering lots of teenagers get which when it doesn't fit with their experiences they are likely to completely dismiss. That means they also dismiss any warnings too.

When I talk to my teens about marijuana for example I tell them that yes it is nice and relaxing, but that they should steer clear for at least a few years because of the link with psychosis in adolescence. I'm able to have a more truthful and evidence based conversation as a result, very similar to conversations I have with them about smoking or alcohol.

DH and I didn't really mention our misspent youth until out youngest DD was 16/17, and we didn't know then that she was already dabbling in substances. We never shied from telling our girls about the hassle we gave teachers at school, and nights where we'd had too much to drink because those stories always ended badly, and assumed it would be a deterrent (which it was for the most part). Never talked about past sexual experiences as it's just been hubby and I since we were 16. I feel that becuse DH and I started to be more open with the girls once they were older, our youngest felt comfortable to come to us (when she was 18/19) and tell us she'd been dabbling in drugs for a few years. We weren't fine with it and after an hour of shouting at her (she took it because she knew she'd been a bit stupid with what she was taking/using) we sat down and discussed it openly about what she was using, how often, why she was using drugs and what help she thought she needed. Now she just smokes weed very rarely, and never in or near the house, which is a massive improvement, as for a while she smoked every day because it became routine, and she didn't know how to have fun without it.

Very because I was born middle aged as was their dad !

Actually I was a boring single minded kid with a career path I had to follow and a crap school so I worked bloody hard!

I'm honest in that when dd directly asked me if I had smoked cannabis, I said yes. I didn't go into how old I was, how much or how regularly I smoked or any other detail.

I haven't told her about what sex I had (or am having) as my sex life is none of her business.