Parents know that we need to talk to our kids about important issues like drugs. But when your kids are young it’s hard to know when it’s too early to discuss these issues. It’s also difficult to know what to tell them. Some parents may fear that it’s too early to talk to their kids about drugs, but if your kids are in school, then drugs is a topic they should learn about from their parents before their peers get a chance to educate your kids. Below is a list of topics that parents can use to begin this conversation.
10 Things Everyone Should Know About Drugs
- Drugs are dangerous. No need to give all the gory details about what kinds of evils might befall a drug user, but elementary-age kids should know that pot and other drugs can and do hurt people. I have met many teenagers who believe that pot is perfectly safe. I’ve even heard teens talk about this “natural plant” as if it were an organic health food. The truth is, pot and other drugs do affect your brain, they do affect your health, and people under the influence of drugs do make risky choices that lead to injury.
- Drugs are not legal. Elementary-age kids understand right and wrong in the context of rules and consequences. Developmentally, kids this age think in very black and white terms. In this instance, their black and white thinking can be helpful. Kids understand that when you break the rules, you receive a consequence. Make sure they know that pot and other drugs are against the law, and they will lead to trouble. Marijuana is becoming legal in more places, but not for kids. No need to explain the ins and outs of all the laws in your state at this age. They should just know that pot and other drugs are against the law, and…
- Drugs will affect your future. Kids dream big. Kids want to be something. Ask your kid what he/she wants to be when they grow up. If the answer is “a drug user” then you have bigger problems. But if it’s anything else, drug use will most certainly be a hindrance rather than a help in achieving that dream.
- Your parents do not approve. You may have been taught that teenagers’ peers have more influence than their parents do, and that may be true. But that doesn’t mean that parents have no influence. And the younger your kids are, the more influence you have. And for teens, they may be listening more than they’re letting on. They may act as they know it all, but deep down, they know that they don’t.
- Drugs are not healthy. Elementary-age kids want to grow up strong and healthy. They should be taught that drugs will hinder their healthy growth.
- Some of your peers will try pot and other drugs. Kids should be prepared for the idea that their friends are going to make choices that they may not agree with. Kids should develop a sense of identity that is separate from their friends. They should be taught to make decisions that are their own, and not their friends.
- Using pot and other drugs does not make you cool. Every kid wants to be cool. Some kids think that using drugs will help them be cool. Teach your elementary-age kids that they don’t need to “be bad” to be cool. Teach them that they are cool because they are special, because they have unique personalities, and because they have unique talents. Kids who have a healthy confidence in their own abilities and personalities are less likely to use pot or other drugs.
- You are not responsible for other kids’ choices about using pot or other drugs. Kids who are committed to not using drugs may feel a need to rescue or save their friends who make different choices. It’s ok to be supportive and to encourage friends who are at risk of making bad decisions, but it’s easier to be pulled down into bad behavior than it is to pull others up to good behavior.
- You ARE responsible for your choices about using pot and other drugs. Teach your kids that you will never accept, “because my friends were doing it” as an excuse for bad behavior. This goes for all behavior, including drug use. Your child should know that you have expectations about their behavior regardless of what others are doing.
- You will have to choose. 100% of elementary-age children will have the option to use pot and other drugs before they finish high school. There’s no way around it. They will have to decide for themselves whether they will use or not use. It is difficult to choose not to use it when your friends are watching and the pressure is on. It’s a little bit easier if you’ve already decided and committed to which way you will go. Make sure that your kid knows what he or she is going to say when that option comes their way.
Hopefully, this blog helped shed some light on a very difficult parenting issue.