Submitted By: David Beart
It’s every parent’s nightmare; their child comes home from a high school football game with alcohol on their breath. They probably fiddle with the dog or try quickly to make their way to their room where they think they can escape unscathed. As a parent, your first instinct is to rant and rave about the dangers of alcohol – not to mention driving. Then punishing them for eternity and remaining steamy mad for weeks to come. After all, they broke your trust in a way that could have substantial consequences. For other parents, their teen’s drinking habits (or not) remain a secret for a while. The best advice is to assume that they are and keep looking out for signs.
Signs that your teen is drinking are of course, dwindling alcohol supplies of your own at home. If you notice that your liquor cabinet or a beer or two are disappearing, suspect the kids. If your teen is driving, then inspecting their car for beer caps or can – hidden under the seats or in the trunk may give you some clues. You can also find clues by making sure that you have access to their Facebook accounts and other social networking. Kids today have all sorts of code words for things like alcohol or sex that they use to try and fool parents. If you notice a pattern or start seeing posts about things your child and their friends have done – remain suspicious and by all means keep digging.
Other signs could be falling grades, skipping school or a drastic change in friends. If your child has had a best friend since grade school and suddenly hangs with a different crowd, you can be assured they are getting pressured in many ways. This isn’t to say that a change in friends or that a certain crowd at school should be assumed bad – but there are reasons teens change friends. It could be that your child’s old friends started drinking or partying and they didn’t want to fool around with that. If so – good job mom and dad!
Many people believe that dabbling with alcohol or drugs for a teen is just the normal course of growing up. To an extent that may be true. Still, the deciding factor in whether or not your child continues to drink is your reaction. It isn’t wise to confront them when they have been drinking. But you do have to deal with quickly and the consequences at home should be drastic enough to leave an impression. It might not be enough to just take things away. The bottom line is that drinking as a teen breaches your trust in them and they have to work very hard to rebuild it with you. Not to mention, it could lead to some dangerous activities for your child. Don’t ground them for two weeks and then give in to the pouting and whining about them having to stay home all weekend. Stick to your guns and let them know that not only did they break your rules – they broke the law.
Another piece of advice is to not believe everything your teen tells you. It’s amazing how many parents just automatically assume their teen is telling the truth. Don’t be afraid to call other parents to make sure your kids are where they say they are – and that they are being supervised. Most parties for teens go on at homes where the parents are out for the night or go away for the weekend. Taking a drive by of your own may feel intrusive but can give you a bird’s eye view of what they are really doing. If you suspect something is going on, following them around discreetly can give you a lot of information. After all, their safety is YOUR responsibility. Remember that even the smartest of teens – don’t have a fully developed mind that allows them to see around the corners in life.
Teen drinking is fairly common. One survey among high school students indicated that 2.5 out of every 3 students admit to trying alcohol at least once. 2 out of every 3 teens admit to being drunk. Parents need to remain cognizant of behavioral and personality changes in their child and commit to seeing teen drinking as a serious offense with serious consequences.
Submitted By: Pat Munro
What do you do to keep your kids safe in this cyber world? It starts with you, the parents.
You alone are the security wall that keeps your kids safe. If you don’t take the proper precautions and inform yourself of all the possibilities then your kids will be at risk. Do not allow anyone else, from their friends to the internet itself to watch over you kids. Be vigilant when it comes to cell phone safety and security. Responsibility will inevitably land on you, so do everything you can to protect your kids and yourself.
Radiation-To start, there are still questions regarding the link between cell phones and the electromagnetic radiation they emit.. If your child, tween or teen talks a lot on the phone (likely all of them) it might be a good idea to get them a headset, just to be careful.
Cyberbullying- It seems to be in the news a lot lately, for good reason. Cyberbullying is when kids use the Internet to harass, intimidate, embarrass, or demean others. This is true with cell phones too. Kids can use cell phones to send threatening text messages or make threatening phone calls, and cell phones make it easier to do these things without being detected by parents or teachers. Many cell phones are now equipped with cameras that can take still pictures and short videos, which can then be sent to other mobile phones or uploaded to the internet. If you fear your child is being cyberbullied, contact the police right away. They have the ability to link you to different organizations which can help, as well as instruct you on the laws regarding cyberbullying in your area.
Extra Fees- Most cell phone plans charge additional fees for accessing the web and text messaging, and kids can easily rack up high charges on cell phones by going over their plan minutes, downloading expensive ring tones, music and games, and sending too many text messages. Your child could also sign up for one of several services that will send him or her text messages, news alerts, photos and other content for a set fee per message. If you are worried about your child racking up big charges on his or her phone, you might want to consider getting a pre-paid cell phone. With pre-paid phones, you buy a certain number of minutes at the outset, and if you want more minutes, you have to pay for them up-front. This can help limit your child's cell phone use and prevent surprise phone bills.
Web Safety - Many cell phones have wireless internet capabilities that allow kids to browse the web, instant message their friends, and download ringtones, wallpaper, videos, music, and games. Mobile phones present a challenge for the protective parent because they are often used outside of the home, away from parents' watchful eyes. It is much more difficult to monitor the internet activities of your children on a mobile phone than on a home computer, and kids may be able to access adult web sites, videos, photos and text messages through their cell phones.
Stranger Danger- Cell phones can allow strangers to contact your child without you ever knowing about it. As with instant messaging and chat on your home computer, your child needs to understand they should never give out any personal information to people they don't know, including their phone number, address, full name, or school.
Keep it Close- Losing a cell phone can be dangerous, because children sometimes store their personal contact information in them. Cell phones are also easy targets for theft, so make sure your child stores his or her cell phone in a safe place and doesn’t call attention to it in public. Also, your children should know to never let strangers borrow their phone, the stranger could steal it, access his/her info, or rack up tones of fees without anyone being the wiser.
Best Advice- Check you kids cell phone bill every month. You will get a greater understanding of what your child is doing with his or her cell phone including internet use and other services.
