Funny Sober Parent Moments

[TexasBloom]

I got sober when pregnant with my first kid, and they've never seen me drink.

I was 'raised in AA' to be able to gauge how well I'm living the program by looking at my home life.

Yesterday, I asked my son, who is a preteen with anxiety, to do some chores (with a written 3-item list). the kid looked me dead in the eye and said "Are you asking me to do for you what you can do for yourself, or is this one of those "I'm part of the community of our house" things?"

Last night, my teenager called to ask me how "tell a guy I'm frustrated so I don't get a resentment."

I'm waiting to hear "Live and let live, Mom!" come out of someone's mouth soon.


What have you all heard from kids in the family?

[CarolD]

My children were on their own before my drinking slid me into alcoholism.
I've never made my AA connection private.

Years later....a Step grand daughter was drunk and I overheard
a young adult Grandson tell her....

:You ought to talk with my G-ma ...she helps drunks all the time"

Looks like the cycle has been broken with regards to my family
What a blessing....the younger ones are not drinkers

[wow04]

I got sober when pregnant with my 2nd child. My oldest doesn't remember seeing me drunk, but I was. I have 4 kids that range in age from 13 to 3.

The other day I took down the ceiling fan to give it a good cleaning. I am rather short so I was having trouble with just using the chair. My 9 year old looked at me and said "Mom, how is that chair working for you?" I looked at him and smiled. "He said wouldn't the ladder be easier? Just a suggestion."

One time my 13 year old was in trouble. I was trying not to go off the deep end. I stopped to say a little prayer and she said, "Mom just say Lord, show me the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness, and love."

I smile every time I hear one of my kids say an AA slogan.

[heathersweeds]

I love this thread TexasBloom!

My daughter is 19 and has a boyfriend and they live together.....UGGH!
They have arguments. His family gets very involved. I heard her one day say to her boyfriend " My mom (me) will not get involved and feed into this insanity!" I was like wow! She does listen to her mom. The kid's gonna be alright

[TexasBloom]

My mom messaged me about something my daughter posted on FB recently. I wasn't at home, so I went ahead and ignored my mom's intrusion, but did address the questionable post right there on FB.

My DD then texted me on the phone and said "When is Grammy going to AlAnon? She so doesn't live and let live!"

It seems my mom also messaged her, and my kid doesn't appreciate her grandma's lack of boundaries. Sometimes I want to show her that 12x12 part about over-dependence, but that would be taking my mother's inventory with my kid.

[PaperDolls]

Great thread.

Funny though, I was raised by a sober alcoholic deep into AA. I never knew any slogans until I became a member myself. There was no talk of spirituality.

I often wonder why he didn't use more if it or talk about it .... especially when he and I were at each other's throats when I was a teenager. Lot's of fighting and "You're going to do it my way, or else!". Oh well, it all turned out just fine. Just like it was supposed to.

[TexasBloom]

I've kept my kids out of the rooms, except for birthday celebrations, and I wonder about that, too. I prefer to pray and meditate privately. The kids know I do it, and sometimes I remind them that it's an open invitation. I struggle between not wanting to repeat my youth (I'm a preacher's kid of a practicing alkie and a practicing script addict), and wanting to make sure they have a solid spiritual foundation.

So I compromised: we discuss slogans when they kids are talking about school stuff, and when I'm mad these days, I run off to try to meditate. When one kid was staying awake thinking at night, I introduced mediation and prayer as problem solvers to him. The other one decided to check out a church on her own and does the youth group thing. As long as I've instilled our values the program has taught us, I'm glad. I want to leave the program as something they can discover later should it be a need and want for them. (I really hope not though. I fear the karma for my teen years coming back on me via my own kids. I was hell on my family.)