Tips for Parents About Middle School Drinkers
Children who begin drinking while they are in middle school or earlier usually have a wide variety of problems that last well into their adulthood. What can parents do to prevent early onset drinking?
Almost 20% of 14-year-olds say they've been drunk at least once, according to a U.S. Surgeon General report, and one-fourth of 8th graders have reported being drunk, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey. Another study, by RAND Health, found that three-quarters of 7th graders had used alcohol.
A Signal of Other Problems
Early onset drinking is a signal that the child will likely develop other problems in young adulthood, including employment problems, abuse of other drugs, and committing criminal and violent acts before age 23.
In light of these statistics, members of The Science Inside Alcohol Project at American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have developed five suggested steps parents can take to talk with their kids about alcohol.
Five Tips for Middle School Parents
Here are the five suggestions from The Science Inside Alcohol Project:
Find Teachable Moments-- We live in a culture of celebrity. If a celebrity your child admires admits to a drinking problem, or an instance of alcohol abuse occurs in your community, talk about it. Ask your middle school student if she knows anyone who drinks alcohol and whether it is at parties or has been brought into her school. Answer questions. Have this conversation often.
Talk to Your Kids When Everything is Fine -- Middle school students are volatile, hormonal beings. They are sweet and wonderful one moment, and blow up the next. Pick a time when things are quiet and they're a captive audience such as in the backseat of your car. Don't take no for an answer.
Engage Your Kids in the Science of Alcohol -- Adolescents are incredibly self-involved. Alcohol can cause memory loss, impair sports performance, incite embarrassing behavior and affect how they feel and look. Make them aware of these facts. If there is a history of alcoholism in your family, explain about genetic predispositions towards alcohol abuse.
Be Vigilant -- There's no alternative to monitoring your kids. Have an early curfew. Know where they are at all times. Even if you are not home on a weeknight, make sure you can reach your kids by phone. Get to know their new friends and their parents. Find out what their rules and level of engagement are.
Learn to Trust Your Child -- Now's the time when all the work you've put into creating a value system for your child begins to pay off. Set limits and enforce rules, but remember to give your child room to make his or her decisions, within your comfort zone. Praise them when they do well. It's worth a thousand words.
The Have I Got A Problem website is a free online resource to help people better understand any issues or concerns they may have about mental health or addiction. The website includes resources specifically focused to; general Mental Health, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Insecurities, Self-harm Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anger Management, Eating Disorders, Coping, general Addiction, Alcohol, Smoking, Gambling, Drugs, Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana (Cannabis) Ecstasy, PCP, Mephedrone, Ketamine & Crystal Meth.
The site was created to give the public information to help them understand mental health and addiction issues and to assist people in making better informed decisions about their life and personal choices.
www.haveigotaproblem.com was created and is run by 'Advising Communities’, which is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1061055)
Downloads
- Alcohol and Drinking
- Am I a safe drinker?
- Internet therapy versus internet self-help versus no treatment for problematic alcohol use: a randomized controlled trial
- How to Deal With Alcohol Addiction
- Overcoming alcoholism
- Signs and symptoms of alcoholism
- What causes addiction
- What is Alcoholism
- Social and economic problems linked to alcohol use
- Drunk Driving: The Dangers
Quotes
"It's just too easy to look at life as a half-empty glass… especially when you've been drinking"
Philip
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