Substance abuse affects people of all ages in our culture today, including children. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, by the time a child reaches the age of 15, there is a one-in-three chance they have had an alcoholic drink. This rate doubles by the time the child turns 18. NBC News recently compiled “tactics and techniques” to discuss drinking and the effects of drinking with our youth.
START THE CONVERSATION EARLY (AND HAVE IT OFTEN)
Often parents think the best way to tackle heavy “adult” issues is to have a formal sit-down talk where they lay down the rules. You may want to opt for a more casual talk that is more of an ongoing dialogue throughout their childhood and adolescence.
“Start the conversations when they’re young, and keep them ongoing,” says Elizabeth Conlin, director of quality assurance at KeyStone Center and the mother of 19-year old twins. “My kids know I work in a rehab and that I do not condone underage drinking, so these conversations [naturally] started when they were young, and came up whenever it was appropriate, like if something happened in the media or with older kids at their school. I would ask them questions like, ‘What do you think about that? How do you think that happened? Why do you think that person got involved with doing that?’”
START WHEN THEY’RE YOUNG
Conlin adds that the frequency and age to start these talks really depends on the family, but for her, “these talks were early and often, and I started making it a casual topic when they were around nine or ten.”
Celeste Viciere, a licensed mental health clinician and the mother of four whose ages range from six to 17, doesn’t think there’s a wrong age to start talking about substance abuse especially with easy access to the Internet.
“My five year old can work the iPad and can get knowledge on her own,” Viciere tells NBC News BETTER. “If you wait to have these tough talks until their teenagers you may have missed the [window] and they may have formulated their own ideas about having a drink.”
LITTLE KIDS WILL ASK QUESTIONS — DON’T SHUT THEM DOWN AND HAVE ANSWERS READY
Kids are curious and they will ask questions. Crystal Rice, a social worker certified in advanced trauma treatment with three children (ages eight, six and three) finds that often, the parental instinct is to try to postpone answering them rather than tackling them immediately simply because they aren’t ready to talk about this stuff.
“A lot of families that aren’t ready for the questions their kids ask tend to shut them down because they’re planning these big talks,” says Rice. “But it’s important to address these questions and be prepared to do so. My eight-year-old daughter just asked me the other day what I was drinking. It was a beer. She asked why she was not allowed to have it and I explained that it is a drug that is not legal for people under the age of 21. She’s only eight so she wants a quick and easy answer in a way that makes sense her.”
To read the remainder of this article on NBC News, click here.
If you’re in the West Side Cleveland area and want help with substance abuse, we’re here for you.