Best way to help teens? Stay involved
Conversations can help teens make smarter decisions in precarious moments
If you are a parent or a grandparent, I hope you saw the story in the Yuma Sun about fentanyl and abuse at the high school level.
As a parent, that story gave me chills. I know that keeping children wrapped in protective bubble wrap is frowned upon, but I would be lying if I said that wasn’t tempting sometimes.
It’s terrifying to think that fentanyl is impacting Yuma County students, yet it’s a reality.
San Luis High School is taking measures to help students, including presentations on the dangers of drug abuse, and closing some of the campus bathrooms.
The school’s principal brought up a great point, however. At a Parent Teacher Organization meeting last week, Principal Lucky Arvizo said parents could help fight the problem by getting more involved in their kids’ education.
In many ways, Arvizo is right. Parents can help, simply by staying involved, both in their kids’ education and in their lives.
There isn’t a perfect solution. My extended family has a long, tangled history with both alcohol and drug addiction. One cousin died from a drug overdose, and others have been in and out of jail because of their addictions. One came from a privileged childhood, others from poverty. But they had a common theme — their addictions started in their youth, and slipped right by their parents.
I’m far from an expert on the subject, but I’ve seen up close and personal the pain it causes. And for the rest of my cousins and I, there was value in discussing addiction and its toll. There were no secrets, it was simply the reality of the situation, and each case was openly discussed, regardless of our ages.
Ultimately, we were armed with information. And it was probably the best thing our families could do for us.
Children and teens learn in a variety of ways, such as from example, from conversation and from exploration. Involved parents have the ability to impact that education. Having meaningful conversations upfront, talking about what to do if someone should offer something at school and what to look out for can help a teen avoid exploration, and instead make a smart decision.
With fentanyl out there, it’s more important than ever to be involved. Talk to your kids, and let them know you are here — not to judge or punish, but to help. Teen years are scary ones, where our children start to make tough decisions that could have farreaching complications. Start the conversations now, and arm them with information to make smart choices.