Ciroc? Check.
Marijuana? Check.
VIP guest? Check.
For today’s modern, attractive, and wealthy teens, this pretty much sums up a fun night out on the town.
Living in a celebrity-centric community, it’s nearly impossible to make sure your teen stays away from drugs and alcohol. As your children get older, these “mood boosters” naturally become more accessible within their social circles. As a concerned parent, you may find yourself running routine checks in your car, bedroom, and even sniffing your clothes for traces of drugs or alcohol; anything you think will save them from spending their younger days in a medical and rehab facility. Help to be proactive. However, instead of sneaking around their backs, it helps to be more vocal.
Healthy communication is undoubtedly one of the best methods to ensure that your teen chooses a drug-free path to a successful future. Children who are not properly informed are likely to experiment with drugs or alcohol, or seek answers about these substances from the wrong group. And, as the popular saying goes, “children live what they learn”, it is only fair that they learn from you.
The importance of parental influence
You don’t have to be a communication specialist to know that most teens prefer to spend time talking to and with their parents rather than talking to or with them. Attribute this to hormones, high school stress, or fear of your parents. Whatever the reason, one thing that’s for sure is that many teens don’t like to communicate with their parents. However, as parents, it is important to be able to speak honestly and openly with your teen to help him manage stress, deal with peer pressure, self-doubt, and build self-confidence.
As stated by the National Council for Crime Prevention, “Young people are less likely to become involved with drugs when the adults who care for them are part of their life.” Extensive research has also shown that teens who communicate with their parents regularly are 50% less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than those who barely communicate with their parents.
Teen drug addiction is a growing problem, and as a parent, there is much you can do to help prevent teen drug and alcohol abuse. Fostering close and supportive family relationships, having open and honest conversations, teaching responsibility, fostering positive attitudes, and letting them know that their actions and choices have consequences can help determine whether or not they end spending time in a medical and rehab facility.
Get started while they are young
It is never too early to start! This is the attitude to have when it comes to talking to your teen about drugs and alcohol. Teens go through various stages as they approach adulthood, and what is appropriate to say to your 18- and 13-year-old may differ in some ways. However, the earlier you start talking to them, the more influence you will have on their life choices. Curiosity is a natural part of adolescence, and keeping them informed can prevent them from experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
More than their peers or the Internet, they live to be your main sources of reliable (and also objective) information about alcohol and drugs from a young age. Take advantage of learning moments, whether you’re watching a movie, the news, or reading about drug-related topics in the newspaper, try to start a conversation that gets them talking. You don’t have to have all the answers; you just need to be there to listen to their concerns and encourage good attitudes. By doing so, your teen will feel more comfortable talking to you about drugs and alcohol rather than relying on friends or media that glorify substance abuse, paying little attention to the negative effects it can have. Here are some things to keep in mind when talking to your children about drugs and alcohol.
Listening is important – you may feel the need to always tell your teens what to do. And because of this, you may spend less time listening to your concerns. As parents, it is important for your teens to know that you are listening to them and that you care about what they have to say.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions – talk to your teen about their interests, peers, and feelings, and remember, listening is important. Do your best to engage them in conversations that require much more than a yes or no.
Set Rules and Expectations – Make your expectations clear to your children when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Let them know that you hope they will not abuse drugs or alcohol and that you trust that they will not. Inform them of the serious emotional and medical effects of substance abuse and set consequences for breaking the rules.
Be a role model: “Research shows that children of parents who abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to try alcohol or drugs and develop alcoholism or drug addiction,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drugs for Teens. Although most of these children do not develop alcoholism or addiction, many have behavior problems that can lead to substance abuse on a regular basis.
At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is be there for your teenager. Be there for them whenever they need to talk about these issues or trust someone. And if they’re still not comfortable trusting you, try to make sure there is a trusted adult they can trust. If necessary, try to involve them in trips to a medical and rehab facility where they learn more about alcohol and drugs. His goal is to give them the support they need to say no to drugs.