Back to School- 101 Drinking and Drugs

You've checked out the sales and bought a closet full of clothes to replace summer's shorts and tank tops. You've dropped a small fortune on spiral notebooks, highlighters, calculators, and backpacks. You've  picked up the books your child needs to read for his/her summer reading assignment. You've been to the doctor for the annual physical and any needed  immunizations. You're talking about making bedtime earlier so they'll be able to get up for the bus on time... but really, it's just to nice to give up those beautiful summer evenings just yet, so let's wait on that one. You're ready, right?

This week I'll be posting about a couple of necessary conversations to have with your kids to prepare them as the school year starts. First, the talk about drinking and drugs. Yeah, you've talked  with them about drugs before and your kids are good kids who know what your values are. Have the talk again. Why? 

• Think peer pressure is a big influence? There's something bigger... You! Three out of four teens says parents on their #1 influence on their choice whether or not to drink. You may think they're tuning you out, but your values matter to them.
• September is a clean slate... you can influence what gets written on this slate. Every September is a fresh start in a  new grade, new classes, teachers, and friends. You purchase  daily organizers to foster good study habits and better grades.  Talk about alcohol and drug use too.
• They're growing up but they're still kids. Adolescent brains are still developing so alcohol and drugs affect them differently and may cause  long-term changes in brain development. Kids may think, 'everybody's doing it, so what's the big deal?' In fact most kids aren't drinking or using drugs regularly. Talk with them so they get the facts and make better decisions.