When guiding your daughter through a difficult time, it’s natural to want to open up about your own common experiences. Vulnerability is a great way to form genuine human connections. In fact, Scripture like Galatians 6:2 instructs Christians to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

But can you ever be too vulnerable with your daughter? In short, yes.

In parenting through tough things like addiction or impulse, it can be incredibly useful to be vulnerable…to a point. Oftentimes, being too vulnerable can actually come off less like empathy and more like giving permission. Being vulnerable with your child doesn’t mean sharing everything. Be discerning when bearing the details of your past with your child to ensure you aren’t perpetuating the bad behavior.

Listen to the Raising Godly Girls Minute with Patti Garibay: