Tips on Helping Your Teen Stay Sober This Holiday Season
Considering the effects of alcohol and its several health complications, it is vital to educate your child about it and help them stay sober. So how can you help your teen avoid drinking during the holidays? 
What to do
- Take it seriously – parents often treat alcohol less seriously than drugs. A parent who discovers that his or her teen is drinking may for example respond with a sigh of relief, saying “at least they are not using marijuana or cocaine.” Your first response is very important in setting the tone on how you handle alcohol and substance abuse in the future. You have to be firm and consistent in your reaction to his or her drinking from the beginning.
- You must be the role model – adults are allowed to drink, but as soon as you have a child, you stop being just an adult and become a parent and role model. If your teen often sees you drunk, it might be very difficult to convince them not to give it a try.
- Insist that fellow adults practice responsible drinking – it doesn’t help when all your visiting friends are always drunk. Do as much as you can to ensure that all the adults in the home and the community at large behave responsibly.
- Speak out about drinking – drinking must never be a secret. If someone comes home drunk, don’t laugh. Instead, explain to the teen what the consequences are.
- Discipline them if they drink – teen drinking is illegal in the first place. They must understand they cannot break national laws and family rules without ramifications.
What not to do
- Don’t store excessive amount of liquor in the home – this can cause a huge temptation. Store the liquor in closed, locked cabinets and not in the open.
- You can’t expect them to make decisions without your guidance – if you don’t tell them it’s bad, no one will. If they are going to a party, you must make it clear that they are not allowed to drink.
- Do not be the one who introduces your teen to the booze – sad as it may sound, research shows that 40% of teens who drink get the booze from adults, particularly their parents which is quite shameful.
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Originally posted on May 16, 2014 @ 8:04 am
