These slides outline 10 facets of parental engagement aimed to prevent substance abuse among teens.The recommendations are from the book titled "How to Raise a Drug Free Kid," by Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Founder and Chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
3. get involved
in your child’s
life & activities
Teens who grow up in
caring and supportive
family environments are
also less likely to smoke,
drink, or use drugs
Be There
4. and keep them wide open
Open the Lines
of Communication
Teens who learn about the risks
of drugs from their parents
are less likely to use them
Most teens credit conversations
with Mom and Dad as their reason
for deciding not to do drugs
5. actions are more
persuasive than words
Your kids will be more
affected by what they see
you do than what they
hear you say
Set a Good
Example
6. & enforce them with
consequences if your child
fails to follow them
Set Rules
The rules you establish
become your children’s
internal compass for their
own behavior
7. your children’s
whereabouts
Half of teens who stay out
past 10:00pm on a school
night report that drug and
alcohol use was going on
among their friends
Monitor
8. such as eating
dinner together
Maintain
Family Rituals
Having dinner together allows
you to be with your children,
learn about what’s happening
in their day-to-day life with
them and their friends, and
get to know them better
9. Teens who consider religion
to be an important part
of their lives are far
less likely to smoke,
drink, or use drugs
Incorporate Religious &
Spiritual Practices
into family life
10. and keep him engaged
Get Dad Engaged
Parental engagement is a
Mom-and-Pop operation
11. The larger families of your
child’s school, church, and
community can serve as your
support groups and your
child’s safety nets
Engage
the larger
community
12. Get to Know &
Better Understand
Your kid’s friends
and their parents
Knowing your child’s friends
and their parents will help you
get to know and better
understand your child
13. Be There
Open the Lines
of Communication
Set a Good
Example
Set Rules
Monitor Your Children’s
Whereabouts
Maintain
Family Rituals
Incorporate Religious
& Spiritual Practices
Get Dad Engaged
Engage the
Larger Community
Get to Know
Your Kid’s Friends
14. Parental engagement
is the most effective
instrument in the
substance-abuse-
prevention toolbox
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