Parent Tips
Parents, you are the greatest influence in your child’s life.
Have you started to talk to your child about alcohol or other drugs?
How have you discussed tough questions or statements about drugs and alcohol with your child? For example, how might you respond to “everyone else is doing it” and “did you drink when you were my age”?
If you suspected that your child had a tobacco, alcohol or drug problem, who would you reach out to for help? A doctor, clergy, teacher, someone else?If your child told you that a friend was drinking or doing drugs what would you do?
Would you call that child’s parents to tell them?
Do you limit or monitor your child’s online activity, TV, radio or music preferences?How well do you know the parents of your children’s friends?
Do you talk to them about what is going on at school or in the community?
Would you talk to your son differently than your daughter about alcohol or drugs?
Do you check up on parties that your child goes to?
What would you do if you found out that there was alcohol
available at the party?
You help youth to resist alcohol and drugs when you tell them that you care about the choices they make about alcohol and drugs.
Questions taken from “Parent Power, a Guide to Raising your Child Drug Free” written by the National Center on addiction and substance abuse at Columbia University. For more information or to post comments to these questions to a blog, go to: http://parentpower.casacolumbia.org/
Communicating with your teen is the first step in sending a clear message of no drug use. Learn how to talk to your teen and set rules to keep
her/him safe and drug-free.
Healthy Waldo County
Parent Power
It is never too early to start thinking about
raising your child substance free!
Parents, you are remarkable teachers!
Important First Steps in Preventing Substance Abuse
When you take the time to ...
Plan, prepare and eat meals together ...
Read, play and have fun together...
Learn, interact, and solve problems together...
You help to protect your child from day to day pressures and take the first steps toward raising your child substance free.
Parent Power
Parent Power
Do you suspect that your child is using?
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Do you know how to recognize the
signs of teen stress?
WARNING SIGNS
Physical Symptoms
Allergies
Chronic Fatigue
Racing Heartbeat
Nightmares
Sleeping Problems
Dizziness
Change in Appetite
Headaches
Muscle Tension
Restlessness
Stomachaches
Gastrointestinal Problems
Emotional Symptoms
Anger
Denial of a Problem
Loneliness
Feeling Powerless
Feeling Trapped
Constant Worry
Anxiety
Depression
Nervousness
Feeling Rejected
Difficulty Making Decisions
Being Easily Upset
Stress is a common problem among teens, and as a parent, you have a role in helping the teen in your life to cope with it. So what is stress? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stress is the body's physical and psychological response to anything perceived as overwhelming. This may be viewed as a result of life's demands—pleasant or unpleasant—and the body's lack of resources to meet them.
While stress is a natural part of life, it often creates imbalance in the body, especially a teen's body, which is already experiencing so many changes.
If signs of stress persist, ask for help.
Some sources you can consult include: a health care provider, mental health center, social worker, school counselor, nurse, therapist or clergy.
¹ Associated Press/MTV survey, "Academic performance top cause of teen stress." August 23, 2007.
Be a Good Role Model
Be a role model of the person you want your kid to be. What stronger anti-drug message is there?
Keep these tips in mind:
Be a living, day-to-day example of your value system. Show the compassion, honesty, generosity and openness you want your child to have.
Know that there is no such thing as "do as I say, not as I do" when it comes to drugs. If you take drugs, you can’t expect your child to take your advice. Seek professional help if necessary.
Examine your own behavior. If you abuse drugs or alcohol, your kids are going to pick up on it. Or if you laugh at a drunk or stoned person in a movie, you may be sending the wrong message to your child.
Be the person you want your kid to be. What stronger anti-drug message is there?
Source: The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's Behavior Change Expert Panel
HMP is a collaborative effort among 28 local coalitions, the Maine DHHS (Maine CDC and Office of Substance Abuse) and DOE, supported primarily by the Funds for Healthy Maine with federal grants from the US CDC, SAMHSA, and DOE.
