When and How to Talk to Kids About Drugs

High School

“Why do you think someone your age would want to smoke marijuana?”

If you can’t describe the physiological effects of marijuana to your teenager, visit a library or Web site, such as www.teens.drugabuse.gov, together.

Califano reminds parents to listen as much as talk. “Sometimes an open mind and an open ear are the best things you can bring to a conversation with your teenager,” he writes in How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid.

Engage teens and their friends in creative activities at home, says Pickard. “The key to combating drug use is keeping kids busy, helping them develop goals, and giving them pride and praise. Don’t keep your children totally sheltered through lack of information. Give them the tools they need to remain safe.”

If you’ve laid the foundation for open communication, you’ll be speaking the same language when the talk turns to the risks and realities of adolescence.

Jenna Samelson Browning is a freelance writer and editor.

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How to Talk With Your Kids ... About Anything: Tips for topics large and small
Includes: Rudeness in Public; Questions about Sex; Sibling Bickering; Fear of Natural Disasters.