Drug addiction among teens is on the rise these days. Alarming statistics reveal that there are many children who fall prey to drug abuse at even 10 years of age. As a parent, you need to take this as a warning sign and help your kids understand the downsides of drug addiction in order to keep them away from it. Here are some tips that can help you out in the process.
Start Early
It is never too late to start discussing about drug abuse with your kids. Waiting until they turn 13 or 14 may be too late. Start as early as 6 years of age, warning them against taking drugs without medical or parental permission. This fear will grow with them until they become old enough to understand the hazards of drug abuse on their own.
Be Supportive
Positive behavior leads to positive reinforcement. And positive behavior is influenced by the encouragement and support you show your kids. Support every bit of positivity in their lives, no matter how small it may be. In case your kid is addicted, be supportive about the ensuing treatment and encourage him/her to work hard at it. Reward sobriety with clothes, toys, cellphones, trips, etc. Do everything in your power to ensure your kids that you will be there for them no matter what provided that they remain sober and are willing to stay away from drugs for life.
Learn about the signs of drug abuse
Most of the time, parents fail to notice the signs of drug addiction in their children until it is too late. Look out for unusual behavior like withdrawal if your child is otherwise happy and cheerful. Anything unusual on his/her part needs to be checked out immediately, possibly with a drug test if you are suspicious of drug addiction.
Become involved in your kids’ lives
As working parents, we may not have time to spend with our kids or get involved in their day to day activities. Remember! Money can be earned anytime, but the time you spend with your kids is something that can never be regained once lost. Become involved in your kids’ lives.
Take them to school, attend sporting events at school, find out their hobbies and encourage the same. Above all, reward positive behavior while teaching the consequences of bad behavior. This will save you all those visits to the lawyers and counselling offices later on.
Monitor Them
While you may want to trust your kids at home, chances are they may fall prey to drug abuse via other means. It pays to monitor them regularly to ensure that they do not get involved with the wrong crowd. This can be done by monitoring phone calls, monitoring the levels of prescription drugs or asking friends to watch out for them when outside.
Parents need to find out ways to prevent their kids from falling prey to drug abuse. This needs to be done in a calm and constructive manner for prolonged results.
