Top Tips Tuesday: How to help your teen make healthy choices about alcohol

[Jess1-RO]

Welcome to Top Tips Tuesday!

Top Tips Tuesday is a new way we will be starting conversations about topics important to our parents community. Each Tuesday, we will post on a topic recommended by our parents community, sharing our top tips! 

We encourage our parents community to join in! Let us know your top tips, strategies you have tried and conversations you have had with your children. So let's get started!

This week's topic is: Teens and Alcohol: How do you help your teen make healthy choices about alcohol?

ReachOut top tips are:

1. Talking openly: Keeping communication channels open is an important step in supporting healthy choices around alcohol. Try to initiate honest and open conversations with them, and ask them about their views on alcohol and other drugs to gauge what they think is appropriate behaviour.

2. Give them the facts: Giving young people the best opportunity to make an informed choice can help to shape their behaviours and attitudes towards drinking. When you’re talking to your child about alcohol, make sure you’ve got the facts on standby.

3. Understanding peer pressure: The friends that they hang out with can often influence the behaviour of young people. Have a chat to your child and help them come up with strategies to deal with drinking peer pressure.

We would love to hear what your top tips are!

For more ideas, check out the ReachOut Parents resources on Teens and Alcohol here!

[gina-Ro]

Thanks @Jess1-RO  

Would love to hear from other members on this one - It comes up on the forums a lot. 

@sunflowermom @Faob_1 @compassion @Schooner @Loralei @parentconcern @taokat @Moggy3kids @PositiveWhisper 

[sunflowermom]

This is a good topic-  It comes up in our home from time to time.

Before she leaves for a party I ask her to make good choices.

I always ask her to never be alone, especially with a guy- always have a gf that doesn't leave her.  I believe that girls are safer in pairs at a party and can look out for each other.

I want to know the back up plan if both teens wind up drinking.  How are you getting home, where are you staying.

I expect if I text her to check in I get a quick response to know she is ok.  I can pick her up at any point if she need me without repercussions.

[gina-Ro]

Thank you for sharing this @sunflowermom - sounds like you really prioritise open communication, and planning a head of time. 

Letting your daughter know that you're a safe person to ask for help if she gets in trouble, or needs a lift, is a great way to go. Sounds like you've got an awesome approach to this really tricky area of parenting!