Balance in Stuff

It’s been a frustrating few days for me dealing with whatever emotions from this whole thing between Olsen and Megan, and then coming home from work yesterday to find Harrison and her boyfriend VERY drunk in my house.

Alcohol is not a big thing in my home because I don’t drink and technically none of my kids are old enough. I of course don’t doubt that Olsen drinks. She’s 20. I don’t necessarily condone it, but I don’t actively discourage it either. I think she knows better than to think she can just drink freely in front of me. But I think she knows that it’s not really a secret that she drinks when she’s with her friends. And I’ve tried to always make it abundantly clear to my children that if they need me to rescue them from a situation (because they are too drunk to drive, or for some other reason), that I will be there for them.

I don’t want my kids to be afraid of me, or afraid to talk to me about things. Or to think that if they need help they can’t come to me.

But I don’t know how to balance that with the fact that I think Harry needs to be punished for drinking in my house. How do I send the message that you will be punished for breaking a rule, but I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me you’ve been drinking and need a ride somewhere because you’re afraid you’ll be punished?

I told her I could be charged with a felony for having a drunk child in my house even if there was no evidence I had provided her with alcohol. She laughs stuff like that off because she thinks that since I am a lawyer I have some secret get-out-of-jail card.

I like seeing my kids grow up and become independent people, but at the same time I can’t help but think about how much I preferred them before they were all teenagers.