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 Parenting Related NewsAs a college student living 5 hours away from my parents, I have the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want. If I got into any real trouble, with the university or the law, only then would the school contact my parents. Otherwise, I can get away with a lot without my parents ever knowing. That’s a scary thought for parents reading this, right?
My colleague told me she was having her 10-year-old stepson practice his reading and comprehension skills while reading entries from my personal blog. Effectively, she noted, along the way she discovered that it’s a creative method of early drug prevention too.
Truth be told, the lessons about alcohol consumption that are the most powerful may just be the ones that are not accompanied by a wagging finger and a tongue lashing. It is the small, accumulated lessons about drinking that add up to make a difference.
Let’s face it. Teens are not that interested in talking to someone whose sole intent is to pepper them with questions, judge their answers, and offer unsolicited advice. In fact, these forms of communication serve to obstruct rather than facilitate communication with our teens. As a matter of fact, they are part of a longer list of communication blocks that parents would do well to avoid if they’d want their teens to talk to them.
She smiled and said she was proud of him. He had come to a 180 degree turn in his life. And with that, he turned to the other teens and thanked them for helping him change his life. His victory became theirs.
Being a responsive parent instead of a reactive parent begins with more matter-of-fact interactions with our kids. This means speaking to them in a calm manner and not freaking out, overreacting and getting extreme with our emotions. Too often, when we see something in our relationship that we don’t like, we try to change everything wholesale. We say things like, “From now on, things are going to be different!”
One in five teenagers has abuse prescription pain medication. Dr. Drew shares some reasons why teens are abusing pills and what parents can do if they suspect their child is using.
While it was hard to immediately see the outward effects of my pill intake, inside, I was detaching from reality. I always describe the feeling of being on pills as being inside a protective bubble. You feel like nothing can hurt you…and eventually, nothing can, simply because you’ve got no emotions left.
Do you know an outstanding youth coach or student athlete who demonstrates a commitment to fair, drug-free play and an overall healthy lifestyle? Does this person inspire others to give it their all, make the team smile after a big defeat, or show exemplary character and integrity on and off the field?
If you answered YES, [...]
I am betting that very few of you have sat through a week’s worth of sex education classes at your teenkid’s school. If your school district offers – or mandates – such classes, you no doubt have received a carefully crafted note listing the topics to be covered. And, if you have somehow managed to raise one of those rare tweens or teens who, in response to “so, what happened at school today?” replies polysyllabically, you might have a general notion of what goes on.
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Teens OnlineDo They Know When the Information They’re Getting is Wrong? Fifty-five percent of Internet users say they have received an unsolicited email advertising a prescription drug, and 40 percent say they’ve received an unsolicited email advertising an over-the-counter drug. In September 2005, a DEA investigation resulted in the arrest of 18 people operating more than 4,600 rogue Internet pharmacy web sites. A search on MySpace.com, a social networking site used by millions of people and popular among teens, turns up tens of thousand of people talking about marijuana. Twenty-two percent of Internet-using teens say they have looked for information online about a topic that’s hard to talk about, like drug use, sexual health or depression. Pro-drug web sites commonly include descriptions of the preparation, dose, administration and psychoactive effects of drugs, as well as recommendations for managing the adverse effects of illicit drugs. One popular online pro-drug encyclopedia, Erowid, contains 20,000 documents that provide enormous detail on drug use, including dosage, modes of administration and intended effects. It receives 250,000 daily page visits and 6 million annual unique visitors seeking information on more than 200 psychoactive substances. A study found that the Internet leads adolescent drug users to try new drugs and drug combinations; take steps to minimize the harmful effects of drugs; and modify the use of preferred drugs. Teens frequently go online alone, unsupervised, and often engage in risky behavior. Nearly one-third (29%) of students surveyed said their parent or guardian would disapprove if they knew what they were doing on the Internet. Sixty-four percent of online teens say that most teens do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about. One-third (33%) of 13-17-year-olds and nearly half (48%) of 16- and 17-year-olds report that their parents or guardians know "very little" or "nothing" about what they do on the Internet. Many parents are not monitoring or supervising their teens’ digital activities. Just under half (42%) of parents do not review the content of what their teenager(s) read and/or type in chat rooms or via instant messaging. Thirty percent of parents allow their teenagers to use the computer in private areas of the house, such as a bedroom or home office. More than one in five (22%) 13-17-year-olds said their parents or guardians have never discussed Internet safety with them. A majority of parents (65%) feel they could do a better job supervising their children’s media use. Nearly all teens are using technology all the time, everywhere. Close to nine in ten teens, or 87 percent of youth ages 12 to 17, are Internet users, and half of these teens go online daily. Approximately 19 million teens instant message. Sixty percent of teens have their own cell phone. One-third (33%) of teens have used a cell phone to send a text message. One in four cell phone-owning teens has used their phone to connect to the Internet. Thirteen percent of young people report having a handheld devise that connects to the Internet. References available by visiting: www.mediacampaign.org
Courtesy of National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. |
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