Parent Talk

• Use "I" or "we" instead of "you." I statements reduces the perception of blaming and increases responsibility for one's own thoughts and feelings. - Parent Pilot Kit
• Sometimes you may think teens are not listening. Research shows that teens do listen and parents are an important influence on whether or not they choose to drink alcohol. - Power of Parents
• Instead of forcing advice on an unreceptive teen, explain that you respect his/her decisions, and as a parent you care and would like to discuss the situation. - Power of Parents
• Ask your child about his/her interests, opinions and friends. A good example is creating an opening question: "What was the best thing that happened to you today? What was the worst thing that happened to you today?" - Parent Pilot Kit
• Make time for an activity with your child that fosters an opportunity to talk and be relaxed. It may be as simple as conversing on the way to school, taking a walk or eating ice-cream together. - Parent Pilot Kit
• Respect, be courteous, and mindful of your child's need for privacy and space within appropriate constraints. "Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you." If your child is engaged in an activity, don't expect immediate results when you ask him/her to do something else. You may need to give him/her time to finish before expecting attention. Ask yourself, "When I am on the Internet or busy with something, do I drop everything immediately when called?" - Parent Pilot Kit
• Correct behavior by using it as a learning opportunity. React immediately, if possible. Make sure that consequences are related to the undesired behavior. For example, if your child does not complete his homework, let him/her take responsibility for the consequences. In addition, a positive intervention is to say, "How can you do this differently next time, so that you are not in a bind?" - Parent Pilot Kit
• Teens may know the potential risks of drinking, but think, "My friend drinks and nothing bad has ever happened." That friend's experience can have more impact than facts. Do not assume that giving statistics is enough to convince your teen not to drink. Help your teen develop better thinking skills by talking together about the short-term and long-term consequences of alcohol use, even if he/she shows littl interest - Power of Parents
• Boost self-esteem: teens who have high self-esteem are better equipped to make smart choices, eal with peer pressure, and avoid underage drinking. Boost your teen's self-esteem by: praising achievements, helping set realistic goals, giving choices, offering responsibilities, focusing on teen's strenghts without camparing to others, taking all of your teen's concerns seriously. - Power of Parents