by LivingFree » Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:48 pm
During the first 20+ years of our marriage my wife was very extremely headstrong about all her beliefs and behaviors -- she was never wrong! There were things i simply didn't want the kids to pick up on, and i said so. I couldn't change her behavior, but I simply maintained a strongly positive relationship with my kids, and never spoke to them directly about their mother. But i spoke out to my wife in very direct terms, even in the presence of my kids. I figured they had a right to know that we felt differently about some things. House rules, of course, we had to agree upon. But when it came to life values, well, the kids have sorted things out and have put together their own life based, in general terms, on the best of both parents. Thanks be to God. Of course, I strongly advocated individual, independent choice, so i didn't force my way on them, I just encouraged them to be their own person. And they have done well.