Everything goes downhill once your kids realize you aren't perfect.

But some-times downhill can be good. It's easier, relaxing even. Of course, one failure leads to another and eventually your kids think you're all kinds of flawed. If you're lucky, they love you anyway.

I'm not advocating failing your kids in significant ways. That's going to happen no matter what, so why go out of your way to do it on purpose? It's failing in front of them that has potential merit. Parental flaws allow children to realize that they don't have to live up to super-human pedigrees and, best case scenario, they're a source of harmless amusement.

My kids revel in telling me how bad my voice is, a fact I'm well aware of, but despite that, they cheer me up by putting on songs they know I won't be able to resist singing along (badly). They mock my lack of rhythm — and forbid me to dance in public — but they also join in when I start dancing (flailing around) at home because not only does it make them look good in comparison, it also shatters inhibitions that really shouldn't exist at all.

No one wants to fail, but since we have no choice, we should all have people to forgive us for it.

When she's not being a reporter, Treena Shapiro is busy with her real job, raising a son and daughter. Check out her blog at www.HonoluluAdvertiser.com/Blogs.