Educate yourself about how drugs and alcohol addiction moves in your community. Never assume that "stuff like this" will never happen to you or your family. Turning a blind eye to the possibility of addiction does not necessarily make the situation go away. You also have to remember that your kids may already be exposed to such scenarios through your acquaintances, friend and even relatives. Teachers, local neighborhood kids and even passing strangers may even now be introducing the concept of substance abuse to your kids without your knowledge. It really pays to be extra vigilant about addiction in the communities your kids are exposed to.
Have a sit down talk with your kids about your concerns with drug and alcohol addiction. It is imperative to remember that kids nowadays are more conscious of their surroundings than you really want to give them credit for. If you think that your little ones are too young to know about this stuff, then you are already on the losing end of the battle. At the same time, try not to fall into that trap of assuming that your kids are too smart to do stupid stuff like this. Again, this is turning a blind eye to a potentially dangerous situation.
Explain to you kids your concerns about drugs, alcohol, gang stuff and crimes involving all three. Set down ground rules against these and make sure you enforce these. However, try also to keep communications open between you and your kids. Try to hear out their side of the story too. This is especially true for teens who may be seeking emotional support and parental guidance for something that they are not supposed to be doing.
Set an example. Children usually look up to parents as role models. It would be very hard to preach about the evils of drug and alcohol addiction when they see you engaging in the same activities.
Tags: drug, alcohol, addiction