Time to Talk

• Clearly communicate how drugs and alcohol use can negatively impact your child physically, legally, and socially.
• Let your kids know you disapprove of any drug/alcohol use.
• Use “teachable moments” to raise drug/alcohol issues. This could be a scene in a movie or something in the news. Ask them about how they feel about it.
• Frequently talk AND LISTEN to your kids about how things are going in their lives.

• Have ongoing conversations and provide age-appropriate information about drugs and alcohol.
• Be a role model when it comes to drinking, taking medicine and handling stress. If you feel you need help, don’t be afraid to ask.
• Know your child’s friends and their parents.
• Monitor, supervise and set boundaries – The media content your child watches and listens to has the power to influence decision making.
• Discuss good decision-making skills with your child.
• Be aware of your child’s social relationships in person and online.
• Don’t believe that allowing your older teen to drink around you will help them learn responsible drinking. Alcohol use is not a “rite of passage.”
• Children need and want the rules they tend to break away from. Expect resistance and attitude. Stay strong.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol if you have used drugs in the past.

• This isn’t about you, this is about your child and the choices they have to make.
• Don’t Lie… However, do not glamorize your experience.
• Share with your child the lessons you learned or the consequences you had to face because of your drug and/or alcohol use.
• Remember, your child could be at higher risk for addiction if there is drug/alcohol abuse in your family.