BACK-TO-SCHOOL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR PARENTS
Parents: Do Your Homework for a Drug-Free School Year
Going back to school signifies a time of new beginnings - new schools, classes, and friends. It can also be a time of new challenges for many young people when it comes to drugs. As a parent, doing your homework and being a positive role model can impact your teen's decision to not to use drugs. Parents can get smart about the risks associated with teens going back to school and make the grade in keeping their kids drug-free by completing the "homework assignments" below.
There are some simple steps you can take to keep track of your child's activities. Of course, your kids might not like you keeping tabs on where they are and what they're doing. It won't be a democracy, and it shouldn't be, according to many parenting experts. In the end, it's not pestering, it's parenting.
1
Be aware of challenges
facing your teen as they enter high school. Teen acceptance
of marijuana use and perceptions of normalcy increase dramatically
during the transition from middle to high school, corresponding
with an increase in use. Nationwide data indicates that the most
dramatic increases in drug use occur between 7th and 8th grades
and 8th and 9th grades, and the rate continues to climb significantly
between 9th and 10th grades.
2
Get to know your teen's friends
and where they hang out. Research shows that the majority
of teens (ages 12-17) who smoked marijuana report getting it from
their friends and usually received it inside a home, apartment,
or dorm. Hanging around users of marijuana often means exposure
not only to other illegal drugs, but also to a lifestyle that can
include trouble in school, engaging in sexual activity while young,
unintended pregnancy, difficulties with the law, and other problems.
3
Help your teen reject peer pressure.
Young people who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are
up to 50 percent less likely to try drugs than their peers who don't
get drug information from their parents. In fact, two-thirds of
young people said that losing the respect of family and friends
is one of the main reasons they don't smoke marijuana or use
other drugs.
4
Schedule time with your teen to discuss
your family's "no drug use" policy - set and enforce rules
with clear consequences for breaking them. Make your position
clear when it comes to dangerous substances like alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs. Don't assume that your children know where
you stand. Although virtually all parents in America (98 percent)
say they've talked with their children about drugs, only 27
percent of teens - roughly one in four - say they're
learning a lot at home about the risks of drugs.
5
Eat meals together as often as you can.
Meals are a great opportunity to talk about the day's events,
to unwind, and to bond with each other. Studies show that kids whose
families eat together at least 5 times a week are less likely to
be involved with drugs or alcohol.
6
Involve your teen in supervised activities.
Approximately 91 percent of youths nationwide participated in one
or more school-based, community-based, church- or faith-based,
or other activities (e.g., karate lessons) during the past year.
And, teens involved in after school activities or programs were
less likely to have used cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit drugs in
the past month than youths who did not participate in supervised
activities during the past year.
7
Check in with your teen after school.
The danger zone for drug use is between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. If you
can, try to arrange flex time at work so you can be home during
those hours. Or, you can get your teen into a routine of calling
you when they get home from school to check in and let you know
where they are. If your child will be with friends, make sure there
is adult supervision - not just an older sibling.
8
Watch for a decline in your teen's
school performance. Students with a "D" average were five
times more likely to have used illicit drugs in the past month than
students with an "A" average. Also, teens with particularly negative
attitudes about school were two and a half times more likely to
have used marijuana in the past year than youth with positive attitudes
towards school.
9
Know the warning signs of drug use.
Changes to take notice of are: acting distant from family or friends,
hanging out with a different crowd, changes in moods or attitudes,
lack of interest in personal appearance, changes in clothing, and
dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits.
10
Be a better listener. Ask questions
- and encourage your teen to ask questions of you. Paraphrase
what your child says to you. Ask for their input about family decisions.
Showing your willingness to listen will make your child feel more
comfortable about opening up to you.
11
Stay involved in your teen's life.
Help your teen with homework assignments and projects, limit time
spent watching TV and using the Internet, limit the amount of time
spent with friends on school nights, give him or her responsibilities
around the house, and remember to recognize successes and good behavior.