Teach Your Children To Say “no” To Drugs

This theme may seem too repetitive, but many times dealing with it does not seem to be an obligation and it is possible to treat it in a superficial way. Similarly, campaigns to avoid drug use are recurrent at school, but the explanation remains in the hands of inexperienced people.  

Teaching children to respect such a delicate issue starts from home:  even if the child is very young, we must instruct him so that he does not approach unknown people and avoid accepting anything on the street.

It is convenient for the little one to understand when it comes to drugs, but it is difficult to explain. For this reason, it  is important to make him understand that he must not accept anything offered to him by a stranger. However, there comes a stage when children are more independent, so they begin to trust and not worry.

In this sense, it becomes imperative to adapt the education we give to children according to their age. It is also advisable to  pay more attention to those little ones who usually take the initiative, because sometimes they evaluate the dangers with less attention.

Tips for teaching your children to say no to drugs

A key aspect to keep in mind is that you don’t have to consume or trade drugs to suffer the negative effects – you just need to be in the wrong time and place. For this reason, it is good to touch on all issues concerning drug use, because it is a constant and dangerous threat.

On the other hand, parents sometimes believe they have everything under control, that they know their children enough to know they won’t have any problems. This is the main reason why problems come without waiting for them.

While there is no recipe to be 100% sure that you are immune to this situation, we can start taking a cue from these wise tips:

1. Improve communication

Talking with children about their studies, their emotions and their interests is as important as advising them about the dangers  on the street. It is never enough, because we have to constantly trace many things, and we know that sometimes they have a short memory.

Communication is the secret of understanding, it is useful to get to know the child, improve our relationship with him and intervene in time if necessary.

 2. Get to know your child

It is advisable to assimilate the tastes, friendships, places they frequent and the way of acting of their children, to better evaluate the situation. Through observation, we will know if they are taking any risks or if they are on the right path.

In general, people approach the world of drugs through friends. It is possible that, despite being true friends and trusted people, they are not prepared enough to escape from these complicated situations.

3. Be clear when speaking

Clearly expressing the dangers of people taking drugs  allows the child to reflect on this. The problem of drugs is not just for those who take them: if you have many friends who use them, the simple fact of being close to them is a risk factor.

The use of illegal substances causes moral, legal, economic, emotional, physical, family, mental and more risks. In this sense, based on the age of your child, it  is sometimes preferable to use drastic examples rather than trimming endless sermons.

4. Promote self-confidence

An emotionally healthy child, balanced in his family background and with a solid moral foundation, is confident enough to share his problems and concerns. This does not avoid the dangers of the road, but it facilitates an adequate response to them.

5. Lead by example

There’s little point in talking about this issue if we’re not a good example. It is better to remove children from negative contexts, they must be advised to say “no” to drugs, but it will be more difficult to internalize it if they see the opposite being done.

6. Check your alcohol intake

Drinking alcohol in moderation does not hurt, in fact it has become an element of social relationship. However, overuse of it can cause major problems. Avoiding drinking alcohol frequently in front of children and teaching them to control this habit is a good start.

It is important to know that when we overdo alcohol, the human being is inclined to act without making use of reason. A large number of illegal drug users started off in a state of intoxication.