Teen Drug Help
Partnership for a Drug Free America and Hershey Company Team Up with Parents to Help Kids Make Healthy Choices
The Partnership for a Drug Free America and the Hershey Company are teaming up to launch "Sweet Talk Tools for Families" -- a new website offering tips and tools to help parents communicate with kids about making healthy choices. The site focuses on encouraging parents and kids to bake together as an opportunity to talk, share personal experiences, work together and listen to each other.
Jennifer Goss, community relations manager for The Hershey Company, commented on the new program: "Nothing is more important than spending quality time with your kids, and the kitchen offers wonderful opportunities for getting together. While you're checking out recipes, mixing and baking chocolate treats together, you can catch up on your children's busy lives, and talk about some serious subjects in a relaxed setting."
"Sweet Talk Tools for Families" utilizes useful talk tips such as Teachable Moments, a communication strategy developed by the Partnership, as well as five simple Hershey recipes that parents and kids can use together.
Andy Phillips, national director of corporate relations for the Partnership, explained: "Talking with kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol isn't as hard as parents think and these unique Sweet Talk tools help make these conversations easier with free, research-based tools and tips to help parents and caregivers have ongoing discussions with their kids."
The "Sweet Talk" site is part of the Partnership's nationwide initiative Time to Talk, which reinforces the significant influence of parents in helping children make healthy choices. The Partnership champions the idea that parents can minimize the risk of drug and alcohol abuse by being heroes in their kids' lives.
(Source: prnewswire.com)
Labels: communication, healthy choices, parental-involvement
Dads Need to Talk to Kids about Drugs and Alcohol
According to a new national survey, a significant percentage of dads would rather leave drug education to moms and schools. The survey, conducted by the non-profit Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife Foundation, found that 34 percent of fathers felt that drug education should take place in schools, compared to 10 percent of mothers.
Shelly Mowry, director of programs and communication for the Arizona affiliate of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, commented on the findings: "Moms really do take the lead when it comes to talking to kids about drugs. ... Parents need to have a united front in this effort. I think a lot of times dads just kind of think, 'She's going to take care of it.' Sometimes they're afraid of the delicate subjects like sex and drugs."
The study, which included responses from 1,004 parents of children in fourth grade through high school, identified one reason that dads may prefer to let mom or the school talk to kids about drugs: dads participating in the study placed a higher value on being friends with their children than did mothers (59 percent of dads versus 51 percent of mothers). In addition, 18 percent of fathers reported difficulty enforcing rules about substance use, compared with only 10 percent of mothers.
Ms. Mowry's advice to parents: "Be the parent, not the pal. ... Especially in those preteen years - 11, 12, 13 - kids need clear and consistent boundaries."
(Source: www.azcentral.com)
Labels: alcohol, communication, dads, drugs, fathers, talking
Communication is Key in Addressing Teen Drug Use
Michael and Meme are juniors at Vashon High School in Puget Sound, Washington. From their perspective, communication trumps attempted eradication as the key to preventing teen drug use.
"Virtually no community exists today without some kind of substance around, whether it is alcohol, prescription pills, or spray paint. Some grow in our soil, like psychedelic mushrooms, and it is literally impossible to get rid of them. So, as teenagers, we hope that the focus is on communication between two separate entities - teenagers and adults - instead of wasting time trying to eliminate drugs entirely."
Bridging the communication gap between teens and parents gives teens the information they need to make wise decisions. It also builds the type of relationship between parents and teens that gives parents genuine influence in their kids' lives. Source: Vashon Beachcomber
Labels: communication, parental-involvement, relationships
