Driving home from football practice last night with my 11-year old son was a moment to which I’d given careful consideration.

I had similar moments throughout the years with his older sister when I’ve had to deliver news that kills a little bit of childhood innocence but I knew I had to talk to my son since the story is every where in the news. Penn State. Joe Paterno. Sex scandal.

I’m fairly certain that I’m not alone with having grumpy kids who refuse to get out of bed in the morning. Or who finds herself with a houseful of stress or tension. Or who needs to rally the troops for a trip to the grocery store. I also think it is safe to assume that I am not the only one deciding at 3pm if coffee or Diet Coke sounds better.

Be warned. There is going to come a day in your parenting career when you will open your mouth to give advice to your kids and nothing will come out. The lack of words is usually because you aren’t sure what to say or you simply don’t want to say it.

My girlfriend sent me a message on Facebook: "I can’t believe you let Katie get a tattoo!" My friend has small kids all under the age of 10, so I understood her shock. My reply was simple: I didn’t let her. I didn’t even approve…but I did support her. Rules change when your kids turn 18.

I’m having one of those beat-yourself-up mom moments. No, not the “oh, don’t be so hard on yourself” kind but a real, honest “I really screwed up on this” moment, and I’m not too proud to admit to my mistake.