One of the most effective ways parents can set youth up for success is to share your (healthy) beliefs and set clear standards. It is important to tell our families what our values and beliefs are about substance use, and then set clear expectations for their behavior. Often times as parents, we think our youth can interpret our beliefs and expectations from our actions. But most of the time, their brains are not yet able to reason in this way.
Having these discussions offer many teachable moments to:
- Talk about YOUR beliefs and why you feel strongly about them.
- Talk through your youth’s thoughts and knowledge around substances, which can also offer opportunities to learn together.
- Share your clear expectations for their behavior and substance use, including consequences.
- Set a “safe” plan where if your youth ever gets into a situation where they feel unsafe, they can call you to come and get them.
- This lets them know that SAFETY is the most important thing.
- You can then both have a time for explanation and cooling off before exacting consequences.
- Talk through peer refusal strategies so they can have a plan when faced with these risky situations.