Your child receives multiple messages about the Use of Illicit Substances (UIS) each day from friends, television, magazines, movies, etc. How many do they receive from you? Do they receive any? Do your kids actually know your views on UIS? Do they firmly believe that there will be dire consequences if you were to find out that they have been experimenting with UIS? As difficult as it may be, it is not the job of the school, church, counselors, your kids’ friends, or other adults to lay and maintain the foundation for your kids to understand that UIS is forbidden in your house and in your family. It is your job and, if you haven’t already done so, the time to begin is now. As I have seen this happen way too many times in my years with middle school kids, there will come a time when it will be too late for you to have any influence on your kids in this area.
Unfortunately, when kids engage in UIS to the point that they do harm to themselves or others, including possible fatalities or severe injuries through car accidents or other erratic behavior, your time to prevent such disasters will have long passed and the people who will fill in the gaps that you created will be law enforcement officers, judges, attorneys, and insurance agents! Of course, all of the intervention from those groups can be avoided if we promise to be highly involved with our kids’ lives.
If you haven’t already done so, get involved with giving your kids the proper messages on staying away from UIS. They are already getting messages that UIS is cool, trendy, “everybody does it”, etc. It is YOUR job to ensure that they receive the proper message to stay from UIS!!
Hang in there, give your kids the right messages, and monitor their behavior and friends, and they will grow up to be healthy, productive, and happy adults!
