Believe it or not, parents play a
larger role in influencing adolescents than you may think:
- Teens reported to SAMHSA that they rely on the adults in their
lives more than anyone else to help them make tough decisions
and provide good advice. Letting your kids know your stance on
drugs and alcohol can delay their use and reduce the risks that
they face, giving them a better future to look forward to.
- Other studies show that teen behavior is strongly associated
with parents’ behavior, so model good behavior. Getting drunk
in front of your kids leads them to do the same.
- And finally, teen behavior is related to parent expectations:
when you expect the worst, teens will deliver on that
expectation. Not every kid in high school drinks. In fact,
we know that over 50% of Ridge High School Sophomores have NOT
had a drink in the past 30 days. If you expect your teen to do
it, they will.
Parents have an enormous impact on the
decisions their children make. Here are a few things you can do to
reduce early alcohol use:
- Talk early and often : Maintaining open lines of communication
lets kids know that they have someone to talk to when faced
with tough decisions.
- Get involved – Talking with kids about their activities opens
opportunities to share your interests and values.
- Be a good role model – In addition to your words, your actions
are powerful indicators to your children of what is appropriate
and acceptable. Don’t take part in illegal, unhealthy,
dangerous practices related to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Teach kids to choose friends wisely – Help them to understand
what qualities to look for in a friend.
- Monitor their activities – This includes knowing where your
children are and getting acquainted with their friends and
friends’ parents. Limit amount of time they spend without an
adult present. Unsupervised kids have more opportunities to
experiment with risky behaviors.
- Set clear rules – Having clear and consistent rules to follow
protects children’s physical and mental well-being, lowering
their risk for developing substance abuse problems. Rules and
consequences should be specific, consistent, and reasonable,
and good behavior should be recognized.