KTMS Radio Commentary
Parents
can help prepare their children buck peer pressure, especially when
it comes to drugs and alcohol.
It
helps to role-play about how to say no. Act out ways that your child
can refuse to go along with friends without becoming a social
outcast.
You
can’t envision all the circumstances that might arise, but you
might be able to cover the more typical situations where young people
find themselves in awkward situations.
For
example, you could say to your child: “Let’s play a game.
Suppose you and your friends are at Andy’s house after school and
they find some beer in the refrigerator and ask you to join them in
drinking it.
“You
know that the rule in our family is that children are not allowed to
drink any alcohol, right? So what could you say to your friends in
that situation?”
If
your child comes up with a good response, congratulate him
enthusiastically.
If
nothing springs to mind, offer options. He could say: “No thanks.
Let’s play Nintendo instead,” or “No thanks. I don’t drink
beer. I need to keep in shape for basketball practice.”
Or,
even better: “That doesn’t sound like fun to me. Let’s go
outside.”
The
actual response doesn’t matter, as long as your child feels
comfortable saying it.
Stress
the point that real friends respect each other’s feelings. And that
people who make their friends do harmful things aren’t really
friends at all.
