Parenting

Yesterday, I wrote on Facebook that I was still learning how to parent even though my kids are 14 and 15. Lots of affirmations from friends came in that, indeed, the learning never stops. 

Well, this morning on my way to school with my kids, the learning certainly continued! We were channel-surfing on the radio and landed on 105 (Jack FM). Imagine my surprise when they replayed LONG parts of Oprah's interview with Whitney Houston... including Whitney's explicit instructions on how to "lace" her marijuana with crack or crystal or something - I didn't hear the exact structure because my ears were ringing! It went on and on... Oprah asking over and over, "So, how did you do it?" And Whitney, laughing and saying very slowly for Oprah's benefit, "Okay, you roll it, and lace it, and smoke it..." 

Now, I had actually seen the interview yesterday on TV. By myself. Whitney is/was an addict, and it is fine for her to describe her life in detail on national TV. But, was it really necessary to give my kids (and thousands of other radio listeners) the blow-by-blow of the instructions the next day on the radio?

I KNOW, change the channel. I finally did. But not before my kids had completely tuned in and started asking questions. 

I KNOW, ratings.

I KNOW, life lesson. It was. I used it without preaching too much. I know drugs are everywhere. (I did grow up in the '70s, after all :)

I KNOW, freedom of speech. My favorite right.

I'm just saying it went a bit far, even for moderate me. If anyone is going to explain how to roll a joint to my children, I'd rather it not be Whitney, with Oprah ooohing and aaahing in the background of a morning radio show.