Eventually, teens may find themselves tempted by alcohol. Unfortunately, many teenagers feel pressured to drink by their peers and just aren’t sure how to respond. This is why it’s crucial that parents talk to their children about alcohol. This may be a difficult conversation, but it’s one that needs to happen as soon as possible. Here’s how you can talk to your teen about the risks of alcohol use.
Choose The Right Time
It’s important that you choose the right time to talk about alcohol with your teen. Don’t have this conversation when there’s tension or your child is in a bad mood. If they aren’t in the right frame of mind, then they won’t really be listening to what you have to say.
Have More Than One Discussion
Talking about alcohol with your teen is a discussion that should happen more than once. Regularly talk with them so that they will really understand the risks associated with drinking. The more often you talk about it, the easier it will be for them to really get what you are saying. It will also give them plenty of opportunities to ask you questions and discuss any concerns that they have.
Ask Questions
Don’t just talk to your teen about alcohol, engage them. Ask them questions so that you can get them to open up. Try to get them to tell you what they think is so appealing about alcohol and why they think their peers drink. Just make sure that you don’t judge them for the questions that they ask or they might not feel comfortable in the future coming to you for advice.
Start The Conversation Early
Don’t put off talking to your teen about alcohol because you think they are too young. It’s important that you give your teen the right information about alcohol before they are tempted by it. Start the conversation early and don’t put it off because you think they won’t get what you are saying. They need to know the risks of alcohol as soon as possible so that they can make the right decision when they have to decide whether or not they should use alcohol.
Always Be Honest
When you are talking to your teen about alcohol, they may ask you some uncomfortable questions. Don’t lie to them and be honest. This will show them that they can come to you with anything even if you aren’t completely comfortable with the topic.
At Purpose Healing Center, we help teens who are already in need of alcohol treatment in Phoenix and Scottsdale. We see it every day. So talking to your teenager about alcohol and the risks of using it is something that you shouldn’t put off. While it may be difficult to talk about, it will get easier as time goes own. By keeping the dialogue open and giving teens this vital information, it will allow them to make a good decision when they find themselves facing the dilemma of whether or not they should use alcohol.
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