December
Talking to Kids About Alcohol
Research shows that parents are the #1 reason young people decide not to drink. So, start talking to your children about alcohol before they start drinking—as early as 9 years old. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, they really do hear you
5 Conversational Goals
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Show you disapprove of underage drinking.
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Over 80% of young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision to drink or not drink. So they really are listening, and it’s important that you send a clear and strong message
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Show you care about your child’s happiness and well-being.
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Young people are more likely to listen when they know you’re on their side. Try to reinforce why you don’t want your child to drink—not just because you say so, but because you want your child to be happy and safe. The conversation will go a lot better if you’re working with, and not against, your child.
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Show you’re a good source of information about alcohol.
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You want your child to be making informed decisions about drinking, with reliable information about its dangers. You don’t want your child to be learning about alcohol from friends, the internet, or the media—you want to establish yourself as a trustworthy source of information
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Show you’re paying attention and you’ll notice if your child drinks.
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You want to show you’re keeping an eye on your child, because young people are more likely to drink if they think no one will notice. There are many subtle ways to do this without prying.
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Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding underage drinking.
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Even if your child doesn’t want to drink, peer pressure is a powerful thing. It could be tempting to drink just to avoid looking uncool. To prepare your child to resist peer pressure, you’ll need to build skills and practice them.
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November
Tips for Connecting with Your Teen
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Listen.
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Validate their feelings.
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Show trust.
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Don't be a dictator.
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Give praise.
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Control your emotions.
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Do things together.
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Share regular meals.
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Be Observant.
Be aware of what’s happening in your teen’s day-to-day life. Ask questions and listen closely to their answers. Get to know the people and things that are important to them. Being aware of these things will help you notice positive changes or behaviors that deserve your praise. When you see your teen doing something positive, tell them what you like. Describe the action or behavior you’re seeing. Be specific in your praise. This helps your teen understand what they’re doing right and makes it more likely they’ll want to repeat the behavior.
November
Tips for Connecting with Your Teen
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Listen.
-
Validate their feelings.
-
Show trust.
-
Don't be a dictator.
-
Give praise.
-
Control your emotions.
-
Do things together.
-
Share regular meals.
-
Be Observant.
Be aware of what’s happening in your teen’s day-to-day life. Ask questions and listen closely to their answers. Get to know the people and things that are important to them. Being aware of these things will help you notice positive changes or behaviors that deserve your praise. When you see your teen doing something positive, tell them what you like. Describe the action or behavior you’re seeing. Be specific in your praise. This helps your teen understand what they’re doing right and makes it more likely they’ll want to repeat the behavior.
November
Tips for Connecting with Your Teen
-
Listen.
-
Validate their feelings.
-
Show trust.
-
Don't be a dictator.
-
Give praise.
-
Control your emotions.
-
Do things together.
-
Share regular meals.
-
Be Observant.
Be aware of what’s happening in your teen’s day-to-day life. Ask questions and listen closely to their answers. Get to know the people and things that are important to them. Being aware of these things will help you notice positive changes or behaviors that deserve your praise. When you see your teen doing something positive, tell them what you like. Describe the action or behavior you’re seeing. Be specific in your praise. This helps your teen understand what they’re doing right and makes it more likely they’ll want to repeat the behavior.
October
As children approach adolescence, “fitting in” becomes extremely important. They begin to feel more self-conscious about their bodies than they did when they were younger and begin to wonder whether they are “good enough”—tall enough, slender enough, attractive enough—compared with others. They look to friends and the media for clues on how they measure up, and they begin to question adults’ values and rules. It’s not surprising that this is the time when parents often experience conflict with their kids.
Respecting your child’s growing independence while still providing support and setting limits is a key challenge during this time. Even if your child is not yet drinking alcohol, he or she may be receiving pressure to drink. Act now. Keeping quiet about how you feel about your child’s alcohol use may give him or her the impression that alcohol use is OK for kids.
September
Parenting shifts as your child becomes a teen. You will go from actively managing and directing most aspects of your child’s life to encouraging them to think for themselves and make good decisions. Instead of telling them how to solve a problem, you can ask questions and offer suggestions when they ask for your help.