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

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 8:21 AM  0 Comments Links to this post

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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

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 9:44 PM  0 Comments Links to this post

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