Feature Story: Set examples for youth to discourage drug, alcohol abuse
Date: July 12th, 2010
Contact: Patrick Ryan, Director of Libertas
As printed in the Green Bay Press Gazette
JULY 9, 2010
We've all heard the phrases "like mother, like daughter" and "like father, like son." Many times, they're used to describe a positive attribute of a parent that the child is repeating. However, the same can be true if a negative or destructive behavior has been passed down to the next generation.
Children, particularly young children, look up to their parents and ultimately want to be like them. This can lead to the children mimicking the parents' actions, both positive and negative.
Children usually will learn positive behaviors, such as showing respect for senior citizens or war veterans. Similarly, if a parent is displaying a negative behavior, such as alcohol or drug abuse, a child from the earliest age on may regard it as normal and imitate it. Children often view a parent's behavior as permission to behave the same way.
Alcohol is all too often a significant part of most social events in our communities. Alcohol use is also prominent in the media, particularly TV commercials during popular sporting events. This is certainly not ignored by children. Parents should consider what they can do to try to shift the social priority away from alcohol use, including:
Don't drink to intoxicaiton.
Don't create humor out of your own or someone else's inebriation.
Avoid drinking to relieve the tension of a "bad day."
Don't serve alcohol at events held for children.
Follow all drinking laws.
There are certainly ways to model positive behavior for your children. Think about:
Attending social events and choosing not to drink.
Hosting a party without alcohol.
Talking with your children about drinking laws and telling them they are there to protect youngsters because a child's brain and body aren't suited for alcohol use.
Refraining from sharing stories of your errant youth.
Being sure that youth know that alcohol has never improved anyone's judgment when it comes to making good decisions. Use events in the news to make this point.
No parent wants to place his or her child at increased risk of becoming an alcoholic. The evidence is clear that the earlier someone starts drinking, the more likely he or she is to become addicted. In fact, those who begin drinking by age 15 are four times more likely to develop an addiction than someone who waits to drink until he or she is 21. Despite the statistics, many parents continue to ignore the facts and condone or even host underage drinking parties.
Certainly, I don't want to suggest that parents should renounce alcohol consumption among those 21 and older, as this message would be ignored. But parents and other adult role models should examine their own behaviors and the messages they are sending to kids when they choose to drink or not drink, and whether to serve or not serve alcohol.
Remember, your actions are being closely watched by young eyes, and behaviors and attitudes learned at an early age will be repeated.
Patrick Ryan is program director for Libertas Treatment Center, the only private inpatient substance abuse facility in Eastern Wisconsin that focuses on adolescent substance abuse. Libertas' facilities are located in Green Bay, Marinette and Sheboygan. For information, visit www.libertasgb.org.
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Green Bay, WI 54303-3282 920.498.8600