Four years ago, when I started this blog, I looked for other blogs that I thought would be comparable to mine. I didn’t see many so I thought I’d be blazing a new trail talking about issues related to older children, how we parent them, screw up and move on to maybe not screw up so badly the next time around. My goal was to be honest and forthright in my writing. I wanted to write something parents of teens and tweens could relate to because I felt pulled to try and connect with parents of older kids. So I didn’t get it when I couldn’t find many other blogs like I wanted mine to be. Why were the parents who started off blogging about raising kids falling away from this topic just when we all seemed to need it the most?

I understand why now. It’s so hard for me to write about our kiddos’ lives, and our daily life, without encroaching on their privacy. I’m pretty wide open and out there, but I’m pretty sure my kids don’t want their personal details on display for all the world to see.

This is the reason I’ve been so quiet around here. I have plenty of material. A day in the life at our house is ripe with stories, anecdotes, quips, laughter and sometimes sorrow. But I don’t want to step on my kids’ toes and put parts of their life out there without their consent. Sometimes they give it. Sometimes they don’t. And I’ve said more times than I can count, “I promise, this is just between you and me. This won’t go on my blog.” I will keep my promises to them. I can no longer pick and choose the ripest, juiciest stories because sometimes they aren’t mine to tell anymore.

I’m okay keeping their stories safe and locked away. It’s my job as their mom, but it means I need to tweak the way I approach my blog so I can still tell my side of the story without giving up their privacy. It’s just so hard.

But I’ll continue on, in a respectful way, for the love of my children…