When it comes to drug use statistics, research by the the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has shown that positive parenting skills considerably helps prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Of course all parents want their kids to live healthy and happy lives, but it’s not always easy to tell what you kids are up to as they get older. Parents might wonder whether their kids have experimented or begun to use drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or prescription drugs.Drug use statistics find that illicit drug use, prescription drug use, and alcohol use among teens remains high. (DrugAbuse.gov) These five questions, developed by the Child and Family Center at the University of Oregon, stress the parenting skills that are most key in helping to prevent drug and alcohol use and progression of use.
- Are you able to communicate calmly and clearly with your teen about relationship problems?
- Do you encourage positive behaviors in your teen on a daily basis?
- Are you able to negotiate emotional conflicts with your teenager and work towards a solution?
- Are you able to calmly set limits when your teen is defiant or disrespectful? Are you able to set limits on more serious problem behavior, such as when drug or alcohol use occurs?
- Do you monitor your teen to assure that he or she does not spend too much time unsupervised with peers?
This “Family Check-up” handout is also great for covering positive parenting skills such as: communication, encouragement, negotiation, setting limits and supervision. If you are worried that your teen’s drug or alcohol use has progressed and you are concerned with how to navigate these waters, contact a professional to help you. A professional can assist in determining what type of abuse is occurring and what is the best course of action for treating the problem.
