It was bound to happen some day. Your teen has his first New Year’s Eve party. Stressed? You probably forget that you have been through it yourself and picture your teen with a beer in his hand and imagine the worst-case scenario.
Teens like to experiment; you probably won’t be able to prevent your child from drinking, but you can make sure that he doesn’t drink twelve beers. Tell him that there’s nothing good about being drunk; vomiting in front of friends is never classy and drinking too much can make you act stupid. They wouldn’t like to be the object of everyone’s laughter, would they?
According to the SAAQ, in 2004 200 deaths, 1,000 serious injuries, and 2,500 minor injuries were caused by drunk drivers. Suggest that your teen take a taxi or other service such as Nez rouge. He must also be careful not to take a ride from a friend who is drunk. Even if it’s just one beer, he shouldn’t let his friend drive. Security on the roads is everyone’s responsibility.
Teenage years are harder for some than for others. Young people question themselves, and question authority, and sometimes have less confidence. Be there for them but don’t invade their space. Hear them out, try to answer their questions, help them deal with their concerns. Feeling loved is important, it gives teens confidence, and being confident helps them resist peer-pressure…and they’ll probably listen more to you than you think.
Links
[1] https://childrenfoundation.com/donate-now/