Warn your children about drugs!!
As parents, we need to know about alcohol and other drugs so that we can provide our children with current and correct information. In addition, well-informed parents are better able to recognise if a child has symptoms of alcohol or drug-related problems.Many parents hesitate to discuss alcohol and other drug use with their child. Some of us believe that our children couldn’t become involved with illegal substances. Others delay because we don’t know what to say or how to say it, or we are afraid of putting ideas into our children’s heads.
Even when the signs are clearer, usually after the child has been using drugs for a time, parents sometimes do not want to admit that their child could have a problem. Anger, resentment, guilt, and a sense of failure as parents are common reactions. If your child is using drugs, it is important to avoid blaming yourself for the problem and to get whatever help is needed to stop it. The earlier a drug problem is detected and faced, the more likely it is that your child can be helped.
How can you do it?
Here are some basic hints for improving your ability to talk with your child about alcohol and other drugs.- Be a good listener.
- Pay attention.
- Reserve judgement until your child has finished and has asked you for a response
- Take note of what your child is Not saying, too
- Be available to discuss even sensitive subjects.
- Make sure you understand what your child means
- Respond constructively
- If your child tells you something you don’t want to hear, don’t ignore the statement.
- Don’t offer advice in response to every statement your child makes.
- Corner them aggressively
- Threaten (e.g. ‘If I find out you are drinking, you won’t be let out of my sight)
- Lecture. Kids are experts at tuning out boring verbal ‘noise.’
- Allow anger at what you hear end the discussion.
- Interrupt.
- Prepare what you will say while your child is speaking.
