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Get The
Conversation Going
Compliments of:
drugfree.org
Keep Your Kids Drug Free...
Starting a
conversation about Alcohol, Tobacco and other drugs with your kids is
never easy -- but it's also not as difficult as you may think.
Your
teens may be pressing for independence but the truth is they need to
hear from you. Use blocks of time such as after dinner, before bedtime,
before school or on the drive to or from school and extracurricular
activities to talk about drugs and why they're harmful. Take advantage
of everyday "teachable moments" and, in no time at all, you'll have
developed an ongoing dialogue with your child. Teachable moments refer
to using every day events in your life to point out things you'd like
your child to know about.
Use the
following "teachable moments" as a starting point, but develop others
based on your own life:
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Point out alcohol-, tobacco-, and drug-related situations going on
in your own neighborhood. If you and your child are at the park and
see a group of kids drinking or smoking, use the moment to talk
about the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco.
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Use
newspaper headlines or TV news stories as a conversation starter.
The daily news is filled with stories that detail the consequences
of alcohol and drug abuse. Talk to your child about the mother who
used drugs and was arrested. Who will take care of her baby now? Did
she make a good decision when she used drugs?
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Watch TV with your kids, and ask them what they think. Do the shows
and advertising make drug use look acceptable and routine? Or do
they show its downside? How did that program make your child feel
about drugs? Write a letter with your child to companies or TV
networks about the messages they put out about drugs. Also remember
that anti-drug advertising — such as that from the Partnership for a
Drug-Free America — is a great kickoff to discussion.
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