Back to School Tips

Become an expert on teen and alcohol abuse by going online and reading drug and alcohol addiction blogs, government awareness web sites like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) and don’t be afraid to go dark and learn the street slang for currently abused drugs and the concerns surrounding drug and alcohol trends like Percocet is sometimes called the blues, marijuana is referred to as tree, and synthetic marijuana can be called K2 or spice. You can find all this info and more by going to the web site: https://www.erowid.org.

If they are interested in a certain type of music or movie genre then try to show some interest even if it is painful to watch or listen. This shows that you care about them and their life. If they are on a sports team, leave work a little early on occasion to see them compete in a game or event.

Today, so many parents want to be their teens best friend first rather than their guardian. Summer is over and being a student is tantamount to having a full-time job. Parents have to hold their teens accountable for his or her actions and they can start in the classroom. This means wandering around on the streets on school nights should not be acceptable and should be a ground rule set in stone.
But, if you want to give your teen a little wiggle room once in a while, then at least make sure if they do go out, they have finished their homework and they return home at a reasonable hour.

1. Set a planned and mandatory dinner time for the whole family Set structure by having a family dinner every night of the week at the same time. This way your teen knows that he or she has to be home every night of the week to attend the family dinner. There you can use this time to catch up and actually know what is going on in their life, whether it is good or bad.

Make it a point to attend all teen’s parental school events. By meeting with teachers, administrators, and other parents, you will receive valuable intel that you would not have access to by simply asking your teen how their day was and receiving one word answers. Also, by attending these events, you’re sending your children a powerful message that you are engaged with his or her academic performance. Find the time to share with the child what you learned. You may get the roll of the eyes and “Yea, yea,” but it’s worth the effort, and it’s easy to do.

Do not hesitate to seek help (therapeutic or intervention) when behavioral and/or substance abuse issues become too challenging or combative. Additional parental tips include: monitoring (without being intrusive) their email and social media profiles and activity, blocking them from certain sites with parental controls, and participating in car pools that puts you in the know.