Let me start by saying, “I am not the perfect parent.” I knew that going in. Don’t we all?

But what I’ve discovered about parenting over the past month has really been eye-opening for me.

We approached this special hour of Dateline NBC with a simple question—We all try to be “good” parents, but are we being “effective”? Are the lessons we try to teach our children about critical decision-making moments really sticking with them?

To be honest, we brainstormed dozens of ideas that we could test in action. But we couldn’t fit that many in an hour of television so we had to limit ourselves to a few key areas.

We looked for issues that face kids from toddler-hood to adolescence and we chose four:
• What would children do if they witnessed bullying?
• Would teenagers get into a car with someone who they think has been drinking?
• How would they deal with a stranger at their front door?
• Would teenagers text while driving even when they know a camera is in the car?

And we turned the tables to ask kids how they view their parents’ use of hand-held technology. This is the one that really got to me.

I sat with a group of four to seven-year-olds who told me how “sad” they feel when mommy or daddy picks up the cell phone or Blackberry in the middle of playtime and starts typing or talking.

When I had a producer call me in the middle of our interview (to see how the kids would react), little Jake said, and I quote: “I feel like you don't even care about me. You only care about the phone.”

Ouch.

I went home that night and immediately talked with my own kids—ages five and seven. I knew I was guilty of the occasional lapse but, oh boy, did they give me an earful.

Since then, I’ve tried to enforce “no phone” zones and I’m more consciously trying to get down on their level and look them in the eye when they want my attention. Little things, I know, but they’ve noticed.

And there’s more. Children—even the little ones—told us they see mom and dad texting while driving. The teens said that’s one of the reasons they think it’s OK to do.

What else did I learn? We need to talk with our kids early and often about all of these subjects. And role playing—as weird as it might sound—is key. At my house we’ve been acting out what to do if someone comes to the door. For teens, we need to give them the tools to find a way out of a bad situation. All the experts say that we can help them to save face and avoid embarrassment if we parents make ourselves the bad guys. For example, saying “My Mom will take away my license if I get in the car with someone who’s been drinking so I just can’t” is a lot easier than trying to come up with an excuse.

I’ve told my friends to try and watch the hour with their kids. I hope you will too.

...

Watch exclusive videos from 'The Perils of Parenthood', airing Monday at 10pm/9c. The full hour can be viewed here.

You’ve all seen him by now. Kyron Horman. He is the cute little guy in glasses, standing in front of his science fair project on the red-eyed tree frog. He’s clearly so proud of himself. That picture was taken on the last day anyone saw Kyron. It was June 4th—seven weeks ago.

When I first met Kyron’s biological parents—Kaine Horman and Desiree Young— a couple of weeks ago, I was struck by how composed they were.

They had been through so much already. They seemed drained and deeply worried but also determined.

They told me they had turned a corner.

“I think I’ve moved past the sad, depressed all the time, crying nonstop-- to anger and frustration and dedication,” Desiree told me.

"It’s hard. I think we’re pretty much in the same place. It is—just that relentless focus to find him that, you know, drives us every day,” Kaine said.

I’m new to the Dateline NBC family so if you’re a die-hard NBC fan, you may not be familiar with my work. Over the years, I’ve been proud to cover a wide-range of stories that hopefully had an impact.

But the stories that stick with me forever are the stories that touch me as a parent.

I am the mother of two beautiful kids. I have a seven-year-old son. So when my new bosses asked me to travel to Portland, Oregon and meet with the parents of seven-year-old Kyron Horman I knew it would be a tough assignment. As parents, we all know intellectually that these are rare cases, but we can so easily imagine ourselves in the same position. The panic we would feel. The desperation.

Kyron’s elementary school was gracious enough to allow us inside to see his classroom. It is a beautiful old school, a throwback to a simpler time. There are little gardens planted by the children outside. The other day a few mothers were outside clearing away the weeds as summer vacation rolls on.

Kyron’s entire graduating class is just 26 kids. It’s the kind of rural community where everyone knows everyone.

I was struck by what a pretty area it is. There are rolling hills and old red barns next to vineyards and big swaths of tall pines.

Kyron’s parents are convinced that someone in that community knows where Kyron is. They want us to air an hour on "Dateline" because they hope it might help jar a memory, or convince someone to speak up. They’re convinced that Kyron is still alive. And with all my heart, I hope they’re right.

The report on the Kyron Horman case airs July 26, Dateline NBC Monday, 10 p.m./9 C. Watch a preview here. Learn more about Kate Snow and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s what surprised me the most about my trip to the Gulf this week. I had no idea there was a whole community of hundreds of Croatian-American families whose heritage and tradition are wrapped up in oyster farming in the Bayou.

Since the 1800s, fathers have passed down to their sons the skills to make a good living on the oyster beds. It’s a year-round process of seeding, cultivating and harvesting oysters. They’re invested heavily in it. It is all they know.

At the coffee shop every morning, the older generation gathers to get ready for the day, shooting the breeze in their native Croatian tongue. Normally, they would head out early on their boats, spending 12 hours or more on the water.

But not now.

Their oyster beds are off limits. There’s just too much oil in the water.

And they’re worried a long tradition may end with this generation.

“BP ruined it for me,” 32-year-old Mathew Lepetich told me the other day as we sat on his boat.

I could see the stress in his face. He’s worried about his future.

Kate Snow's report airs Dateline NBC Friday, 9 p.m./8C as part of the NBC Special report "Disaster in the Gulf." Watch it here. Follow Kate on Twitter and Facebook here.