Choose ‘teachable moments’ to discuss drugs and alcohol - instigate a discussion (not a lecture) around a TV program, news story or advertisement... talk about prevention in the context of how the media portrays smokers and drinkers as smart, beautiful sophisticated and compare this to reality. Remember this is drug prevention for parents
Ensure that your children realize that not ‘everybody’ is doing drugs and drinking. We know that if adolescents perceive drugs use to be more prevalent than it really is they are more likely to try drugs themselves - so set them right! This is the core of drug prevention for parents.
Improve your listening skills. Watch for body language, give non-verbal encouragement, use the right tone of voice to encourage children to share their worries, do not use sarcasm and do not humiliate the child. Drug prevention for parents is a full time job. Treat it as such.
When discipline is necessary remember to criticize the action, not the child. Try to make any punishment appropriate to the behavior - for example coming home later than expected could mean the curfew being earlier the next week. Think carefully before declaring what any discipline is to be - and stick to it.
Build self-esteem - set realistic targets, give real responsibility, praise any achievements or improvements - especially if the child does not make the A grade! These are the strategies that “Drug and Alcohol Proof Your Child” recommends as drug prevention for parents.
Get Stack The Deck: How to Drug & Alcohol Proof Your Child
www.Prevent-Drug-Abuse.com
