In 5th grade my son started DARE classes at school and I was a bit overwhelmed with the thought about talking to him about drugs. I will admit that I was not a saint when I was a teen and I fear that my children will make some of the poor decisions that I did. So when it came time to talk to him about drugs I feared having to answer some difficult questions about my own teenage years.
I learned a lot by reading about how to talk to your children about drugs and a few key points stuck out to me. One was to “Tell your children that you love them and you want them to be happy and healthy,” which was posted on the DARE website’s section about tips for talking to your children.
Be An Authority but Not an Authoritarian
So many parents try to rule their children as an authoritarian. If you want your kids to open up and discuss questions that they have about drugs and alcohol then it is important that you not have this attitude on the subject. Instead you should talk to them as an authority and answer their questions with the appropriate information for their age.
