ATOD- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs.
These are necessary conversations with your preteens and teens. There is a little saying that works so well for this topic and others—Early, Often and Age Appropriate.
Plan out how you are going to introduce the topic and be sure to ask open ended questions—next comes the hard part—LISTEN.
Listen to what your teen sees, hears and deals with on a daily basis- this is precious insight into their life. Listen with empathy as you discuss the topic. Share your values and views persuasively and be sure to be able to back up your words with supporting material-if asked.
Finally, encourage your teen to make positive decisions regarding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. How and when do you bring up ATOD with your teen? #MomSays
