MCCC - 5 Things You Can Do

5 Things You Can Do to Prevent Your Child from Drinking

One of the biggest risks our children face as they grow up is alcohol. Alcohol is one of the easiest drugs to get and often leads to other drug use. It is involved in a large percentage of crime, sexual assault, accidents, and depression. Youth who drink regularly before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to have alcohol related problems in later life. According to the 2007 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment (APNA) youth in Northwest Arkansas who have had alcohol on average have their first drink at age 12.5, and start drinking regularly at 14. By the time they graduate from High School; 70% of Northwest Arkansas youth have drunk some sort of alcoholic beverage and 25% of them participated in the extremely risky behavior of binge drinking. Maybe even more importantly, drinking alcohol before the age of 21 is ILLEGAL.

As parents we try to protect our children from the world and yet it is our job to teach them how to survive in the world and become responsible, law abiding, productive adults. We can’t be with our children at every moment but there are things that we can do to decrease the risks that come with growing up.

One of the easiest things you can do is know where your kids are and what they are doing. Today’s cell phone technology makes that easier than it ever has been before. It is okay for kids to be busy, in fact that is a good thing. We as parents just need to make sure that we know what they are doing and where they are. This not only prevents them from being in risky situations but it lets them know that you are interested in their lives and their activities.

Talk early and often to your kids about the dangers of alcohol use. You are your child’s first teacher. Take advantage of all the teaching moments that become available. Use the Super Bowl ads, or the latest drunk driving accident in the news, or the liquor store you just drove past as a conversation starter. It is never too early to start, remember they have classmates who are drinking on average in 5th and 6th grade(2007,APNA). They need to know how you feel about alcohol and be prepared to face those challenges before they arrive.

Get to know your child’s friends and their friends’ parents. Almost 66% of last year’s high school seniors who drank reported drinking at someone else’s home the last time they drank(2007,APNA). A very small percentage of teens actually purchase their own alcohol, most often it is given to them by someone who is over 21 or they have someone over 21 buy it for them. Knowing who your kids hang out with and their parents helps to build a network, a web, of protection. Parents can work together to watch out for all of their children;”It takes a village.”

Teens say that their parents have the most influence in their lives. I know that can be hard to believe sometimes but this gives you a unique opportunity, use it. Set clear rules and expectations, and be specific. Young adult minds are not fully developed and it is often difficult for them to turn generalities to specifics. This is the reason why you have to tell them to pick up their clothes and make their bed and put away their CD’s instead of just telling them to clean their room. Set the limits, make them black and white, and stick to them.

Finally, one of the most fun things you can do is spend time together as a family. Just eating dinner together a couple of times a week can decrease risk by as much as 33%. I know with today’s crazy schedules this isn’t always the easiest thing to do. But, if you show your child that spending time together is a priority for you then they will see that THEY are a priority for you. A lot of the time it isn’t their schedule that keeps you from spending time together; it is yours.