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Talk to Your Children about
Methamphetamine
Understand Why
Almost always it’s rebellion, alienation, despair,
peer pressure or some combination. As a parent, you can have a powerful
effect on how your kids deal with these things. And whether they see
drugs as an answer. One of the biggest deterrents is talking with your
kids about drugs.
Take
a Stand
Perhaps the single biggest deterrent to drug use is
talking with your kids about the subject — early, often and
specifically. Don’t despair if it doesn’t seem to register. Weeks or
months later you’ll very likely hear your words coming back to you.
Listen
One of the biggest deterrents to drug use is
talking with your kids about the subject. But don’t do all the talking.
Listen. Ask questions. Find out what they think. If you don’t listen to
them they won’t talk to you, much less listen to you.
Set
the Rules
Kids need to know exactly what the rules are. The
rules have to be clear, consistent, reasonable. And enforced. Every kid
will try to find out exactly how far he or she can go. And drugs are no
place for trial or error.
Start
Early
Just as surely as you need to teach your kids not
to play in the road, you need to teach them about the dangers of drugs.
They’ll very likely be exposed to drugs from kindergarten on. So say it
early. Say it often. And match the message to your child’s age.
Educate Yourself
It’s not a matter of learning the latest street
talk. It’s a matter of learning why crack is so dangerous. Marijuana can
often lead to hard drugs. Every illegal drug has the potential of
causing catastrophic damage to your child.
Get
Involved
Perhaps the single biggest deterrent to drug abuse
is communication - simply talking with your kids about drugs. That’s
almost impossible unless you’ve built a foundation. By doing things with
them. By getting involved with their school and their sports. By knowing
their friends.
Don’t
Preach
One of the greatest deterrents to drug use is
simply talking with your kids. But don’t preach or you’ll lose them. If
a conversation lasts more than five minutes, you’re preaching. Better to
have lots of five-minute conversations. Kids have short attention spans
and shorter memories. To learn more about how to talk with your kids
about drugs, call for a free parent’s handbook, 1-800-624-0100.
This
information was provided by the
Partnership for a Drug Free America.
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