When it comes to child safety, ensuring that your child is drug-free is an important consideration of any modern parent. However, if you don’t know the warning signs or how to start the conversation about the dangers of drugs with your child, the task can seem a bit overwhelming. Rest assured, the best preventative tool is a close relationship with your child, and plenty of proactive, healthy communication. The parent’s guide below can help you with the rest.
Below are the top 10 warning signs:
- A drop in grades/poor academic achievement
- Isolation from family and friends, or a sudden change in peer group
- Mood swings
- Loss of interest in previous hobbies or activities
- Significant changes in eating and/or sleeping habits
- Saying, writing, posting, or drawing symbols or slang related to drugs
- Disappearance of money or valuable items around the house
- Dishonesty or defiance when dealing with parents
- Late or unexplained hours
- Smell of alcohol, smoke, or other chemicals on breath or clothing
Now how to start that dreaded conversation? See below for 5 ways to reach out to your child:
1. Dangers and Consequences
Explain the dangers of drug use in terms they can understand, paired with consequences that resonate with them. Different consequences resonate with different kids. What motivates your child may be related to health, personal appearance, legal consequences, not wanting to lose extracurricular opportunities, or the desire for achievement. In explaining the dangers of drug use, be clear on what the family rules are surrounding drug use, and the consequences if those rules are broken.
2. Saying “No”
Strategize with your child on not only how to say “no” when pressured to use drugs, but why to say no. Formulate a reason that’s true for them. Again, the reason will vary from one child to the next. For some, it’s not wanting to interfere with athletic or academic ability. For others, it’s the potential health consequences or the fact that their parents implement home drug testing. If that takes the pressure off and allows them to say “no” while saving face with peers, it works.
3. Home Drug Testing
Consider home drug testing. First Check home drug test kits provide parents with peace of mind that their child is drug-free and they can be used in the comfort of their own home. The kits also offer an excellent deterrent to prevent drug use by kids.
4. Listen
Be willing to listen. Be an active listener. Don’t just listen for what you want to hear or what you think you’ll hear, but listen to what your child is actually saying.
5. Stay Calm
While listening, do not interrupt, raise your voice, or lose your composure. It’s fine to correct behavior, but if a child sees a parent becoming angry, they may shut down communication. Remember, tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions often say more than the actual words that are being said.
For more information on substance abuse prevention, visit notMYkid at https://notmykid.org/drug-abuse/.
For more information on home drug testing, visit FirstCheckFamily.com.
