Talk to Your Kids About Drugs: A Checklist

There are so many things you need to say when talking to your kids about drugs. If you have a checklist it may help the drug talk go easier for both you and your kids. Here are a few things you may want to put on your checklist of things you need to say when talking to your kids about drugs.

· You should make sure to tell your kids the differences between illegal drugs and prescription drugs. Good drugs and bad drugs can be very confusing to younger kids.

· Tell your kids the rules and expectations you have for drugs in your home. Explain how you feel about drugs and what you think about them. Let them know that the rules for illegal drug use in your home are not negotiable.

· Let your kids know what the school rules are for illegal drug use and what can happen to them if those rules are not followed: not just short term consequences but also the long term consequences. Let your kids know how goals they have for their life can be ruined, all by using illegal drugs just once.

Talk to your kids about peer pressure and drug use.

· Talk to your kids about peer pressure. Say things to them that will help them resist the peer pressure to try drugs. Go through scenarios with your kids when doing this so that they get stronger and more confident in saying no.

· Tell your kids that real friends won’t pressure them to even try drugs. Your kids should realize that a truly good friend will not want them to try anything illegal.

· You should also discuss with your kids the many dangers that can happen to them, people around them, or even strangers when they use illegal drugs. Help your kids to understand that drugs can ruin families or that drug users can end up in jail.

· Discuss with your kids how even one time experimenting is too risky for any type of drug. Let your kids know that drugs are a danger because they are very addictive.

· Talk about the goals that your kids have for themselves. Go through scenarios of their life if they use drugs and if they do not use drugs. Help them to understand how even “light” drug use can lead to so many problems and roadblocks in their life.

· Ask your kids what they have been taught in school about illegal drug use. Many schools have anti-drug use campaigns in place to educate students. Discuss what things your kids have been taught and what things you were taught. You just might learn something from your kids.

· Even before you have the big drug talk with your kids you should discuss choices with your kids. Let them make their own choices as they grow so that it is easier for them to make their own choices when it comes to peer pressure.

· Discuss with your kids some of the reasons why people turn to drugs.

· Talk to your kids about the things that they see on TV or in musical lyrics that can glamorize drugs and make it look cool. Let them know that what they see or hear is not true.
There are so many things that you need to say when talking to your kids about drugs that this checklist might be able to help you. There is basic information that you will want to say to your kids about what illegal drug use is and what can happen if you do abuse drugs. This information can open up discussions about many other things.