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Sneaking in alcohol, being caught in alcohol parties and arrested in drunk drive cases, we have all heard teenagers get involved in these. We have shown pity for the child and his family but have we ever considered the possibility of our kids getting into it? We all love our kids and speak very highly of them. But getting to reality you will realize that your kids are also prone to falling a prey to alcohol, early in the age!
This is not a dead end and its not inevitable! You can stop it, after all kids always look up to adults for cues about the rights and wrongs of life. Talk to them and talk to them now. Don’t wait for them to turn into teenagers, even kids as young as 7 need the alcohol talk. Though the way you will answer a 7 year old will be different than how you will tackle a 15 year old, but you will have to talk to them about it. They need your guidance at every stage they pass through so start now with these conversation tips compiled by us!
Talk Early And Whenever Relevant
Whenever you hear about a teenage alcohol incident, talk to your kid about it, even if he is small! Make this incident work as an evidence that alcohol is not for young kids. Put across your point that since kids are not fully developed physically and mentally, they are not allowed alcohol intake. It is a risk to their lives and they need to wait till they are adults and can handle it!
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Answer Their Questions
Kids are less likely to accept your advice when its not backed up with proof. So when they ask, “Why are adults allowed to drink but not kids?”, point out people who don’t drink. Tell them that they are responsible and have made the right choice. Also tell them that kids cannot handle alcohol like adults and so should avoid it!
Clarify Limits
You don’t want your kids to drink before they are old enough and you need to put this point across clearly. As per their age, tell them till when they can’t try alcohol. For smaller kids saying, “Till you are gown up.” might be sufficient but as they grow up, they will need more clear answers. Tell them you want them to have a happy and healthy life and hence alcohol stays out of it!
Also read : Tips For Parents To Be Good Listeners To their Kids
Practice Conversations
Most kids end up drinking alcohol early because they find it hard to say no to their peers on being offered a drink. Peer pressure is a thing you have faced as a teen yourself and you how it is. But you don’t want your kid to choose this easy way out and spoil his life. You can help him come up with answers that he can use to dodge alcohol trying. Practice such conversations with him and give him options of answers like, “No thank you, I Don’t drink or I want to stay sober tonight or just have to drive.”, practicing these will help him to stay out of it!
Keep Communication Open
Kids normally won’t blast a big information on you directly and would rather come up with less shocking things first to test you. They prefer having an idea of your reaction that will come up when they tell you the big thing. So when he tells you that a friend of his sneaked alcohol in class, don’t overreact. No matter how much you want to show disgust, relax. In fact don’t react and let him keep talking. Ask questions that don’t seem threatening like- how everybody reacted? Who handled the situation best? Did he want to try it as well and why? Never close the option of conversation with him by shouting!
Alcohol is not the thing kids should be meddling with, at least not till they are adults. Talk to them, make them feel loved and keep them safe. Their future is bright and alcohol has no right to push them in the dark, protect them!
