It
is quite common for teenagers to engage in risky behavior. Many just don’t have
the sense or foresight to think about the repercussions of the actions. All they can see is what is right in front of
them and if it happens to be drugs and alcohol, many young adults will try them
out of curiosity or peer pressure. To
help your child get through this period in her life unscathed, there are a
series of things a parent or caregiver can do.
The
first and probably most important thing a parent can do is to talk openly with
their teenager about drugs and alcohol.
In some cases, one of the reasons why teens engage in drinking is
because they feel that their parents don’t care about them or are too busy with
their own lives to pay attention to them.
Talking to your teen in a relaxed and honest way will open the floodgate
of questions. Share facts, talk about
the health risks and potential dangers.
Explain to them that while alcohol might make them feel really good for
a while, in the long run it is a depressant and can cause sadness, anger and
depression as well. Continue the
conversation with ways to handle peer pressure.
Think of ways they can get out of a situation without being
embarrassed. One way is to tell friends
that you can’t drink because your parents will test you with a Breathalyzer
when you get home.
Discuss
reasons why they shouldn’t drink. For
example, it might temporarily make you feel more popular to fit in, but you
might end up doing something you’ll regret. You might relax enough to let a
member of the opposite sex get too close, or you might drink too much and get
violently ill in front of everyone.
Another
way to help your teen avoid alcohol and drugs is to keep her involved in after
school activities. Adolescents that are
involved in team or individual sports have little time to waste playing around
with illegal substances and they need to stay strong and healthy to be
effective. Also, this will put another
set of adult eyes on your child. Coaches
can be good role models for young adults; can be another person to turn to for
advice and can watch for irregular behavior.
And, be aware of where your child is after school. If they aren’t at practice, then where are
they and why?
Establish
rules and consequences for any inappropriate behavior. Set solid boundaries and be consistent in
enforcement. Be sure to include in your
discussions the potential risks of getting behind a wheel after drinking
alcohol or taking drugs. The MADD
website is full of statistics and stories about accidents and deaths that have
occurred due to drunk driving.
If
your teenager has made the unfortunate decision to get behind the wheel, and
has been caught by authorities, she will most likely need to take a DUI
class. The best and easiest way to
fulfill this mandate is to take a DUI class online at www.alcoholdrugclass.com. Classes are offered on any Internet based
electronic device. A huge benefit to
having your child take a class from home, aside from convenience, is that you
can personally monitor what they are learning.
You can sit with them to take the class, review information and monitor
their progress.
It’s
never too early to start the discussion about alcohol and drugs with your
child. This will open the discussion and
give them comfort in knowing that you are there to support them through this
sometimes difficult path.
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