Everybody knows that if you want to have the most fun during the summer, you need to have a plan. Calling up friends last minute to hang out will often mean that no one can come over. Trying to buy movie tickets too late can mean that the big summer blockbuster you wanted to see is already sold out for the evening. Just like you need to make plans ahead of time for all your summer fun, you also need to plan ahead if you want to have a safe and drug-free summer.
Parents face the dilemma every year of what to do with their kids when the summer approaches. Grown ups still have to go to work, but school has let out and potentially long, empty days are looming. Many parents will sign children up for summer camps, sports or other activities to keep days busy and productive. This isn’t workable for many parents, however, so children are left to their own devices at home for most of the day.
It is this unsupervised time that can lead to danger. Young people get injured far more often during the summer than at other times of the year, and the summer is also the time of year that teens are most likely to start experimenting with drugs and alcohol.
It makes sense. Parents aren’t around to see what teens are up to, where they’re going or who they’re hanging out with. The lure of endless TV watching and video games also quickly becomes boring, and young people soon want to find something exciting to do. When friends call up saying they scored a bag of weed, far too many teens give in to the temptation and turn down a path of drug use.
Preparing for the summer ahead of time
The best method of preventing summertime drug use starts with filling your child’s summer with activities. You don’t have to send your child away to a summer camp in another state to achieve this. Keeping your child busy can be as simple as signing up for sports camps or summer school sessions. Anything that keeps your teen’s mind focused on challenging tasks is better than leaving him at home with nothing to do.
Talking about drug use
You also need to speak to your teen about drugs and educate him on the real effects of drug use. If you don’t do this, all he’ll know is what he learned from D.A.R.E. in elementary school and what he hears from friends. Neither of these are great sources for actually preventing drug use. By educating yourself first and then talking to your teen about drugs, you can give him enough information so he can make the healthy choice to stay away from drugs completely.
Staying on top of plans
Even if you have organized your teen’s schedule and educated him about drug use, you still need to stay aware of his plans. If you child wants to go stay with a friend for a week, you need to meet the friend and his parents. The other family needs to understand that your teen is not allowed to use any drugs or alcohol, and you need to see that the friend’s family has the same attitude. If they laugh it off or tell you that it’s not really a concern, then that is not a friend that your child should be spending time with.
By taking these steps ahead of time, you can ensure that your entire family will have a fun, safe and healthy summer break.