How to Teach Your Child to Avoid Drugs

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All drugs, if taken incorrectly, can threaten your health. Drugs that have been made illegal are typically very bad for you. Teaching your children not to take drugs is an important part of their lives--and yours. Make sure that you do not only teach them not to take drugs, but explain why they should say no to drugs.

Steps

1. Be clear in your own mind on exactly why drugs are dangerous and why people still use them. Know what can they do to an individual physically and psychologically? What kind of people have used drugs? What kind of people still use illegal drugs? Know both the good and the bad, for example, what do some people claim drugs do spiritually?
   
2. Do your best to instill self-confidence within your child as they grow up. A happy, comfortable and confident child with good self-esteem is in a better place to resist peer pressure when offered drugs.
   
3. Sit down and talk with your children about illegal drug use once a year from age 10 and up. They may not want to talk about it, but coming up to them and straight-out telling them it's bad, and why, can be a big help.
   
4. Talk to them about peer pressure. Let them know it's all right to say "No," even if it means a loss in friendship (although in that case, that person may not have ever been their "friend" in the first place).
   

Tips

• There are plenty of web sites dedicated to anti-drugs with scary pictures. Do a web search, perhaps a Google image search and show your children the pictures of what can happen to their brains or lungs.
  
• Don't lie to your children about the pleasure aspect of drugs (but don't overplay it, either). There is a reason why people begin and continue taking drugs. Not being frank about this, especially during early-teen and teenage years can lessen your credibility about the subject. Relate this part of the conversation that not all pleasurable things are necessarily good, and some, like drug-taking, are destructive. Many seriously affected drug addicts say repeatedly that they wish they had never tried that first "hit."
  
• Don't just talk about drug-taking or 'drugs' - focus as well on addiction (use the word!) and explain it in terms they can understand. Do some informal research so you can talk about the effects of addiction: broken relationships, isolation, dependency, individual feelings of failure, etc. Ask them questions to see how well they have understood addiction and its effects.
  
• Most schools already have drug-free programs (ie, D.A.R.E., ProjectAlert, etc) that discuss these topics. Most kids immediately dismiss these over-the-top programs. However, nothing beats parent-on-child discussions about drugs.
  
• Not doing drugs yourself can help your child have a drug-free lifestyle.
  
• When you speak, be calm, yet steady. Look at them in the eyes.
  
• Be a positive role model. Being positive is really important because if they're around you and you're acting in a positive manner then they will start to become more positive.
  
• Drugs are enjoyable. You must be prepared to make clear to your child that the negative effects of drug use might outweigh the benefits.
  
• Don't ignore alcohol, caffeine, and cigarettes, as they can be just as destructive to health and happiness as illegal drugs.
  
• If your child asks to taste your wine, let them. If they don't like it, good. If they absolutely love it, explain to them what it actually is: rotting grape juice and bacteria. Hopefully this will gross them out enough to not like it any more.
  
• Don´t overemphasize this empty "SAY NO TO DRUGS" motto, you should assume your kids will try it. If you insist on this and they have already SAID YES, dialog will be lost. Focus rather on them not getting addicted. Do some research with an open mind and you´ll find out trying marijuana (which is gonna be the first and hopefully last) isn´t a that big deal. Being tolerant will help in gaining trust.
  
• Tolerance is the key, intolerance pushes them the opposite way.
  
• Studies prove that teens who eat with their family have a less chance of becoming addicted to drugs than teens who don't.
  

Warnings

• Be truthful; do not make up lies about drugs, just use general well-known facts.
  
• Being controlling and overprotective by keeping your child out of 'dangerous' social situations will only cause them to lose respect for you and mistrust your judgment. Remember that the choice is always theirs, and controlling their life will only make them miserable and more prone to use drugs to escape or rebel. Instead, establish mutual trust and respect, and teach them how to honor you by making responsible decisions for themselves.
  
• Your children may ask you about your experience with drugs. Prepare your answer--being honest with them could help them to respect your advice.
  
• There are individuals who believe their lives have been improved by drugs and still feel as if drugs offer something beneficial to a society. It is important to point out to your children that those individuals only failed to find within themselves and the world the things that they feel drugs bring to the table.
  
• It's very hard to guarantee that you, as a parent, will have the ultimate effect. Other circumstances, possibly within the family, could influence the child inadvertently to use drugs. Remember, in a family where drugs are labeled as "bad," any child trying to rebel could see drugs as an effective way to do so.
  
• After finding no information with basis on truth that is anti-marijuana you may have to lie to keep the drug hate going. (this may not agree with your morals.) Simply mention your negative experiences with marijuana, along with some positive ones to be fair. Or explain that some people might not be able to realize or admit to themselves when marijuana is negatively affecting their life.
  
• If you deny that their is any benefit from drug use, or you insist that all drug use (no matter how minor) will have devastating effects, you are setting yourself up to fail. Any child who tries drugs and realizes that your statements were exaggerated or false will simply ignore any other correct information you gave them. It is important to make your argument against drug use to your child well rounded.
  
• Only do this if you actually know for a fact, from first person information, excluding the government. If you lie, or you don't know what your talking about, and you raise a smart kid, they will assume that it's ALL propaganda, and distrust you on every piece of advice.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Be a Good Parent
  
• How to Beat Drug Addiction
  
• How to Deal With a Drug Addicted Family Member or Loved One
  
• How to Help a Friend Quit Doing Drugs
  
• How to Be a Good Stepfather
  
• How to Say No to Drugs and Alcohol
  

Sources and Citations

• http://www.amazon.com/Surprising-Power-Family-Meals-Healthier/dp/B000Y4OBK2
  

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