Sometimes as the parent of a teenage daughter, I almost hate to see the weekend coming. I know she is busy making plans for all the fun the weekend has in store. So every Friday we have the same talk. What are you planning for the weekend? Where are you going? Who will you be with? When does that place close? Will there be any drinking or drugs there? Are there phones to call home? You know when curfew is!

Then she is out the door and with the slam of the door, my heart skips a beat. It takes a lot of trust today to allow your child to begin life out there on their own. If your child is one that you can not trust, it wreaks havoc on your soul.

If you really want to know your kids you have no choice but to ask the questions. If you don't take time to ask the questions then you will not have any answers if something happens.

I'd rather my daughter think I am bugging her and into her business than to be a parent who just ignores her. So yep I will ask all the questions I can and teach her to do the same when it is her baby going off into the world.

I expect her to be brief on the answers. I even expect her to stretch the truth. What matters most is that she knows I am concerned.

We have a rule at our house. If you get out and into a situation you do not like, you call home say I need a ride home. No questions asked unless you want to talk about it. This way everyone gets home safely and there are no worries. If only it worked this way with April like it has with my other kids.

My son was awesome. We didn't have any trouble out of him at all and he was always respectful. It wasn't till his second year of high school that he got messed up and began drugs and drinking.

Even so he never disrespected us or raised his voice. My oldest daughter always told me where she would be and called when she was on the way home. She didn't really give us much to worry about until after she got married and was on her own.

It is funny to watch her with our grandson because she asks him questions just like I did her. When she corrects him, I just sit back and smile. I have no doubt that she is a good mom and I know that wherever she lives she will provide the best she can for her babies.

So show the love and ask the questions. Let them know how you feel about drugs and alcohol. Let them know where you stand on all the issues that surround teen life.

More than anything let them know you will be there for them no matter what happens. You may not always say what they want to hear. But you will be there. That alone will help them become better adults.