When teens take wrong turn – part 2

It doesn’t mean that they won’t take drugs or drink alcohol; just that they won’t do it to appear cool. Children need to know that it is okay to say no and they first learn this at home.

Don’t put pressure on them to perform academically. Yes, you want them to try their best but accept that their best may not put them at the top of the class. Often, it is children who do not feel loved for themselves who go looking for other things like drugs to escape from feeling depressed or unloved.

Try talking to your children about drugs and alcohol but not in a “don’t you dare try these things” way. Talk about the reasons why people try them and the problems that they can cause. Ask them if they have ever been attempted to drink or try drugs.

They may tell you that they have and if they do, don’t overreact but thank them for being honest with you.

If your older teenager really wants to try alcohol, you may want to consider letting him do so under your roof. I am not saying that you should buy him a six-pack. But perhaps let him have a glass of beer or wine with a meal. He probably won’t like it and as it is no longer a forbidden fruit, he is less likely to be tempted by his peers.