“I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Anheuser-Busch’s Family Talk About Drinking Program. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
We’re blessed to have an open and honest relationship with our children. They know they can come to us about anything of importance, and we will stop, listen, and guide them. Kids know when parents are listening, if they feel we’re not listening they will stop talking, and that could be dangerous.
According to research from GfK Roper Youth Report parents have been the greatest influence on a teen’s decisions about alcohol consumption ages for about 20 years. In this year’s reports they found that it also shows a whopping 24% increase in a parent’s influence since 1991.
Talking To My Teen About Underage Drinking
I’ve been feeling like my oldest daughter, and I are drifting apart. I know she’s getting older, I respect that, but I feel like it’s something I am doing wrong. So, I have been reading tips about talking to kids about drinking at FamilyTalkAboutDrinking.com. They have several great tips like the three main stages of parenting:
- Being a Teacher
- The Facilitator
- The Coach
I rebelled against my parents, so I try to look back to my childhood to figure out why I rebelled. I have the best parents EVER, and I have called my mom and dad 100 times apologizing for being such a twit, lol. However, it’s natural for us to want to be better parents than our parents, and I hope my children are better parents than my husband and I. If there has been one thing that’s helped me maintain a healthy relationship it’s switching roles as my children grow, but the older they get the harder it is.
I might still wish my oldest daughter was 8, but she will be going into the 11th grade next year, WOW! It’s hard to believe she was only 8 when I meet here, where does time go? Catie is open and honest with us, she’s the type that if she lies to you it will eat at she and she will come clean, lol. She really is an amazing person and I am excited to see the person she grows into. However, she’s still a teen and there are uncomfortable conversations can cause her to shut down.
I struggle with utilizing open-ended questions with my daughter. Being the “Coach” is the most effective way extend your influence and stay connected with your teen. By asking open-ended questions we are helping our teens think through scenarios that might involve alcohol. With it being graduation, I decided it was the perfect time to talk to her about underage drinking, especially because I know several of her friends are already experimenting with things. I was surprised how well the conversation went when I started asking open-ended questions. We ended up talking for an hour, and I learned a lot about my daughters feelings, things that scare her, and who she’s becoming. Asking open-ended questions shows them you’re interested but gives them the floor.
For great tips on talking to teens about drinking as well as all sorts of other great parenting tips I highly encourage you to visit Family Talk About Drinking regardless of how old your child is. You cannot start talking about underage drinking too early and the communication tips offered by Family Talk About Drinking Program can be used life situations.
