How have your teenagers been spending their summer? Well, it could be they are doing things you don’t know about.
That’s because according to U.S. health officials, the months of June and July are the highest in which teens start drinking, along with smoking cigarettes and marijuana.
A report was just released this week by the “U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration” that during each day over the summer, first-timers are lighting up and drinking in staggering amounts.
About 4,500 will try marijuana. Another 5,000 will light up a cigarette and more than 11,000 will have their first alcoholic beverage. But there are other increased activities that take place during the summer, including the use of inhalants and hallucinogens.
Well it makes sense. Teens have more time on their hands and aren’t supervised as much.
So what is a parent to do? First, we need to have open communication with our teens. We need to talk about the temptations they may face, what we expect of them and how they will handle these situations.
Second, we need to establish boundaries. One of the difficult things about raising teens is that the boundary lines tend to get stretched a bit, as you help them prepare for adulthood. But it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have any boundaries.
Third, monitor what they are doing. Although you can’t be with them 24/7 and you may not always know what is coming out of their mouths is the truth, you can still do a good job at checking up on their whereabouts and who they are hanging out with.
No matter how unlikely you may think your teen is to engage in some of this behavior, it is never a good idea as a parent to put on blinders. You must parent with the thinking, “This could happen to my teen.”
If you haven’t already had a conversation about these issues, now is the perfect time. Don’t let summer continue to go by without it.
Related Articles:
Talk to Your Teen about Drinking
Marijuana Use in 8th Graders on Rise
Knowledge Is Power When It Comes to Drugs
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