How to keep your kids from using drugs
As a parent you have a lot of things that you have to worry about when it comes to your kids. Naturally, you want to protect them from everything that would do them harm. Obviously this includes drugs.
If your kids attend public school they will probably have multiple assemblies or guest speakers who come and warn them about the dangers of drugs. Programs like Red Ribbon Week (where all the students wear red ribbons to raise awareness) and D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) are just two examples of how children are exposed to positive council outside of the home. But just as important as teaching children outside of the home, is teaching your children inside of the home.
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As a parent, your influence on your children is paramount. You know your kids better than anyone else. As you try to raise your children in the happiest and healthiest environment possible, you cannot neglect the importance of personally teaching them to stay away form using drugs.
Talk to your kids
Start young. Never underestimate the ability your kids have to understand a lesson. Even at a very young age you can build the groundwork for what is and is not acceptable behavior. You cannot expect for someone else to sit your kids down and give them a good lecture about avoiding drugs. Be open and honest with your kids about topics surrounding drug use. Allow them to ask questions and be sensitive with your answers.
Use stories
Make the danger of using drugs real for your children. In whatever ways you feel are appropriate, try to find vivid examples of the dangers of using drugs. Show how you can become impaired (use a blindfold and turn around in circles) or how dangerous it is to buy and sell illegal drugs (do a role-play). Older kids might be more influenced by a real-life story of how drugs impacted the life of another young person. Most people learn better if they have something that they can visually associate with the lesson being taught. Be creative. Kids do not have the best attention span so it's best to keep the lesson lively and memorable.
Be an example
Be an example to your kids. Show them the benefits of living healthy, avoiding peer pressure, and steering clear of drugs. Like it or not, it is likely that your kids will grow up to be just like you. Be the kind of person you want them to grow up to be. Fostering a positive and trusting relationship with your kids allows for open communication about tough topics like drug use.
Life or death
Emphasis to your kids that drug use is a life or death decision. Ask them to consider if they are really willing to throw everything that they love away to satisfy an addiction. Address the ever popular excuse of, "just one time isn't going to hurt me." Give this topic the serious attention that it deserves
Give them what they need to make the decision for themselves
When it comes to the point where your child is offered drugs, they will have had to make the decision not to use drugs for themselves. You cannot be in every place at every time and therefore should remember to teach your children that they need to make the right choice now so that in the future when they are faced with the problem, they will know exactly what to do.
Of course there is no one sure-fire way to prevent your kids from ever using drugs. Sometimes, kids succumb to the pressure of their friends or to the powers of curiosity. You cannot protect them from everything. What you can do is make sure that they are armed with the will-power and information that will help them make the wise choice.
