• Teach your children to trust you by seeing you as a role model;
• Be patient, not just tolerant. Apologize when you make a mistake or do something you regret;
• Ask teens what they need from you — and do whatever you can to meet those needs;
• Listen to your teens, a lot. Avoid interrupting;
• Teach your children about ethics, values and principles they can apply in choices and decision-making;
• Help them discover the feeling of gratitude, not just to say “thank you”;
• Keep the promises you make. If you do not keep your word, acknowledge that. Help your teen understand the circumstances or choices that precipitated the change in your plans;
• Answer your teen’s questions and be consistent. When you notice behavioral changes in them, make yourself available and encourage them to talk about what is going on in their life;
• Be understanding when they have a difficult time and let them know you will love them no matter what; and
• Be diligent. Have ongoing conversations with your kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol.
Weekly Resource: Time To Talk™ Initiative. Time To Talk™ celebrates the positive influence parents have on the decisions their children make for themselves. With access to conversation starters and a supportive online parent forum, TimeToTalk.org empowers parents to take an active role in prevention. The Web address is http://www.timetotalk.org/
This article was brought to you by Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), a countywide substance abuse prevention collaborative. For more information about ASAP and its prevention efforts contact Clare Desrosiers, project director, at 521-2408.
A New Year’s resolution for every parent:
Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol
In making their New Year’s resolutions, the Partnership for a Drug Free America® urges parents to look past weight loss, exercise and curbing shopping habits to include learning new ways to talk openly with their kids about living healthy lives. The Partnership for a Drug Free America® recently published “10 Resolutions that Show Your Kids You Care” for parents:
