The idea of your child using drugs is terrifying. You want nothing more than to protect them, but you're not even sure how! These things weren't half so readily available when you were a kid, were they? Protecting your kids from drugs can feel like an impossible task. Thankfully, as a parent, you have tools available to help you keep your child safe.
Encourage extracurricular activities. Teenagers who are actively involved in sports, clubs, and after-school jobs don't have time for drugs. They aren't looking for ways to fill their after-school hours, because those activities are filling their time. A student who is actively involved in sports or an academic club will be less likely to experiment with drugs because they need their brains and bodies to function at peak efficiency, not to be weighted down by the effects of drugs. As an added bonus, when your child is involved in a club or sport, you'll have a pretty good idea of the type of people they're hanging out with: typically others who are involved in the same sport or activity. You'll be able to interact with those teenagers and follow your own instincts as to which ones could potentially cause trouble for your child down the road–an invaluable resource for many parents.
Know where your kids are. Once your teenager hits the magical age of sixteen and has a driver's license, they can go anywhere. If you've provided your child with a car or access to it, you can't guarantee that you'll be able to tell where they are or what they're doing at any given time. That's why it's crucial to check up on your child every once in a while. Check in to make sure that they really are where they've said they are. Institute a curfew, and stick to it: if your child is late coming home, especially if you suspect that they've been doing drugs or drinking, take their car. Know who they're spending time with. You don't have to give your child the third degree every time they set foot out the door, but you should do your best to keep tabs on who they're with, what they're doing, and when they expect to be back. If you catch your child lying or have trouble getting them to answer their phones when they're supposedly in a setting where that should be fine–not, for example, at the movies–then it's time to readjust the rules and see what you can do to make sure that your child will make better choices in the future. Involved parents can't stop their kids from ever making a bad decision, but they can get in the way of a lot of those decisions before they get worse.
Know the potential consequences. According to the Austin possession of marijuana lawyers at Law Offices of Eric Harron, the legal ramifications of possessing marijuana can be significant and long-reaching. In many cases, teenagers simply don't have the decision-making skills necessary to understand how these consequences can impact them, potentially for the rest of their lives. Take the time to discuss these potential ramifications with your child and be sure that they understand what they'll be facing if they're caught with drugs. In many cases, you may feel that other measures come too late to prevent your child from getting involved with drugs. Unfortunately, a child who is determined enough will find a way to get them no matter what measures you put into effect. When you give your child a look at the real-world consequences, however, you force them to face the things that could happen as a result of their behavior.
If you do suspect that your child is using drugs, it's important to intervene immediately! What starts as an “experiment” can quickly turn into a lifelong habit with far-reaching consequences. Getting them help, on the other hand, will make it much easier to turn things around before it's too late.
