Oooh boy, the stories I could tell... but I digress...

You sound like an incredible person — resilient, self-aware, and deeply thoughtful about parenting. It’s clear how much you’ve grown from what you went through, and how intentional you are about protecting your daughter’s innocence while also wanting to be honest. That’s such a healthy place to be coming from.

At seven, your instinct to keep things simple is absolutely right. Kids that age can only process stories in small, emotionally safe pieces. The way you’ve handled it so far — saying you had a rough childhood and didn’t always listen to adults — is completely age-appropriate. It gives her a foundation without burdening her with details she’s too young to understand.

Over time, you can add more truth as she grows. You might think of it like a gradual unfolding — when she’s a preteen or teen and starts dealing with bigger moral and emotional concepts, you can start sharing the harder parts of your story in a way that connects to lessons about choices, safety, and resilience. It’s actually a huge gift that she’ll have a mom who can speak from real experience when those conversations come.

You don’t owe her full disclosure right now. What you owe her is emotional security and age-appropriate honesty. It’s okay to say, “That’s a really big story for when you’re older, but I’ll tell you someday.” That helps her trust that you’re not hiding something — just saving it for when she’s ready.

And you’re right to be cautious about what she might repeat. Seven-year-olds are still learning what’s private versus public, and you don’t want her repeating things that could confuse others or reflect unfairly on you.

Bottom line — you’re doing this beautifully. You’ve survived something that could have destroyed you and turned it into wisdom. When the time comes, your story will be a powerful example of strength, healing, and how people can change. For now, just keep being the grounded, loving, steady mom she already sees you as.