Hi – Sue Blaney here with your Parenting Tip from Parenting Teens Info.com

My tip this week is Delay, delay, delay! >>Listen

This is the third tip from my free downloadable e-book titled “Secrets to Success in Parenting Your Teen.”

I have to give credit for this tip to the non-profit Freedom from Chemical Dependency. Their wise council to parents is to help your teen DELAY the start of using alcohol for as long as possible. Of course, waiting until they are LEGAL is the best strategy.

Are you of the opinion that it’s inevitable that your teen is going to drink? Not only is this dangerous, it gives your teen a message that makes your attitude a self-fulfilling prophesy.  Rather, consider that our culture can change, and in fact it has changed. American’s smoking habits have changed dramatically in the past twenty years, as have our habits around drinking and driving. This too is an area where our culture can change.

I’m going to give you three simple reasons why you’ll want to DELAY as long as possible your teen’s use of alcohol.
1.) Kids have problems with alcohol dependence…they can’t handle it. Across our entire population, alcohol dependence rates are highest among 18 – 20 year olds.
2.) Teens who begin drinking by age 15 are 5x more likely to become dependent than those who begin at 21.
3.) The single biggest predictor of teens using illicit drugs is early use of alcohol.

Teenage drinking does not have to be a rite of passage, and those who do are “playing with fire.” Parents have more influence than anyone else on whether your teens drink. You’ll find more tips in the e-book, but here are a couple of specific things you can do:

•    Give consistent messages regularly. Don’t waiver. Let your teen know what your expectations are and if they don’t live up to them apply consequences.
•    Help your teen learn to say no and to get out of awkward situations. You might want to help him role play, or tell him you can be his excuse. Make sure your teen can speak with you honestly because when you have her trust you can guide her.

This is one of the most important topics you face… I hope you’ll make sure you are doing all you can to help keep your teenager safe. Drinking is not safe for teenagers.

We’ll continue with another secret in next week’s 2 minute tip. And feel free to share this free e-book with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for subscribing to my Two-Minute Tips for Parenting Teens……. ‘Til next time…I'm Sue Blaney