Have you talked with your teens about alcohol?
There’s no time to wait.
You need to start talking with your kids about the dangers of underage drinking – even when your kids are in elementary school and by 4th grade at the latest.
You may find some of the recent stats about underage drinking disturbing:
In the past year, 7% of 4th graders (ages 9-10) and over 8% of 5th graders (ages 10-11) have had beer, liquor or wine coolers.
And in 8th grade, when kids are around 12-13 years old, 1 out of every 6 kids is a current drinker.
To put it another way, in an average class of 30 kids, that means 5 of those 8th graders are participating in underage drinking and are current drinkers.
This is an issue you need to pay attention to – and not hide out in denial. Don’t tell yourself that it’s not going to happen to your child. You just can’t know – and you need to make sure you’ve done what you can to educate your kids.
Obviously kids don’t like being lectured to, but parenting expert, Michele Borba, has several practical tips for bringing up the topic of underage drinking with your kids, tweens, and teens so that stay educated and safe.
Out of the 12 tips Borba shares in her new book, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, here are some that stand out as ones you can do immediately…
- Show them news clippings. If you read about an accident caused by a teen drunk driver, cut it out and use it to discuss how drinking not only affects judgment and the ability to perform everyday tasks but also destroys lives — including your kid’s, if he were that driver.
Sometimes seeing the bad things about what can happen if kids drink and drive can scare them into seeing that they should make better choices.
Be a good model. Kids get their views about alcohol from watching your behavior and listening to your comments. So watch your own party scene. Forget trying to tell your teen to be a responsible driver later on if you’re not one now. Don’t glamorize alcohol or say you’re using it as a way to unwind; for example, never say “I sure could use a drink!” Instead, show kids other ways you relax. If you’re not an example of responsible behavior, don’t expect your kid to act responsibly. Your actions speak louder than your words.
This is one of the most powerful things you can do right away. Look at your own relationship with alcohol. What message are you giving to your kids?
Click through to the full article for 10 more tips from parenting expert, Michele Borba, about how to talk to your kids about underage drinking.
More Parenting Advice: How would you suggest other parents talk to their kids about underage drinking? What’s worked in your family? Share your ideas in the comments section below…
It’s Time To Talk To Your Kid About Drinking [iVillage]
