Mom talks about drinking

Dear Annie: When I was young, conversations about alcohol consumption were along the lines of “Don’t do it” and not about the impact of alcohol on my body. Now that I’m a parent, I try to make sure I have the information I need to teach my daughter to make healthy decisions.

As my daughter has grown up, I’ve tried to discuss alcohol consumption in ways she’d best understand. For example, she and her friends are undergoing many emotional and physical changes, and they’re fascinated by how their bodies and minds operate. I started using information from programs such as Ask, Listen, Learn to connect her natural interests about her brain and body with the impact underage drinking can have on them.

This resource has helped me better understand the nuanced functions of the brain and how they are impaired by alcohol, and it has given me more confidence in conversations with my daughter about why drinking is an adults-only activity.

I hope you’ll help in informing my generation of parents about the tools available to help them talk to their children.

Shannan Y.

Dear Shannan Y.: You are so right that it’s important for parents to talk to their teen children about alcohol. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (https://www.samhsa.gov/ underage-drinking) also offers resources for parents wrestling with this issue — even a free app for practicing the conversation (called “Talk. They Hear You”). Teen drinking has, thank goodness, decreased over the past two decades. Let’s hope it will continue to decline.

Dear Annie: As a psychotherapist, I wonder whether the nose-picking daughter of “Dad Who Cares” has a compulsion. Not wanting to stop unhealthy behaviors is often because of compulsivity. An excellent book and wonderful read on the subject, by science writer Sharon Begley, is “Can’t Just Stop: An Investigation of Compulsions.”

Karen, LCSW

Dear Karen, LCSW: That’s a useful angle to consider.

Dear Annie: The nose-picking habit may be because the daughter has an infection. Impetigo may emerge inside the nose.

It is caused by strep or staph bacteria.

Certified Medical Microbiologist

Dear Certified Microbiologist: Another helpful take on this unsettling issue. Thanks for writing.