by Kyann Barton

Created on: April 15, 2009

I've probably learned more things not to do from my parents than things to do. Fortunately though, I believe it has made me alot stronger than most. For that I am grateful. My parents may not have been like everyone elses but I'm a better person for it, because I know that I will never do those things to my children.

I learned that you shouldn't live your life at the bar. You shouldn't drink until you literally need to be carried by your child down the hallway at 3 in the morning when your child has school the next morning. You shouldn't show up at school functions obliterated. You shouldn't now live in your other daughters basement drinking yourself to death, so that when you finally do die from it your daughter, or worse her children stumble upon that sort of mess. I learned that you shouldn't be drunk everyday to the point where you are unable to speak to your family. Or worse when you do speak to them you break their hearts.

I learned not to be constantly yelling and telling your child how worthless they are, and how your husband is a piece of crap husband and father. I learned not to start drinking just to spite your drinking husband. I learned not to live your life concerned only with money. You shouldn't be hateful to the children you bring into this world, you shouldn't act like they are a mistake. You really shouldn't threaten to take your own life over the least little thing, just because you know it will make your kids upset. And you definitely shouldn't use your words to hurt the ones that care about you most in life.

I learned not to waste my time sitting around watching the boob tube and getting drunk. I learned not to scream because eventually all that screaming will fall on deaf ears. I learned not to trust men in your life because most of the time you will be let down. I also learned not to trust friends that can't bear to sit with you while you cry about the things that you learned not to do because if they can't be there they aren't really your friends. I learned not to run from your problems or use any substance as a crutch, because that crutch will eventually break you down. I learned that you don't fight the things you can't change today, because some day they may change on their own.

Yeah, I learned quite a bit not to do from my parents, but out of it all the things that I learned to do for my own children is priceless. I learned to love always, and never fail them. I learned to give my all at everything I do and constantly be a teacher to my own kids so that they won't suffer too many hard knocks in life. I learned most importantly that although I'll make my own mistakes, I've learned a lot from my parents too. And the mistakes my parents made I know I'll never make myself.

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