Family and Religious Values

26 Pages 6384 Words

to do the right or wrong thing. But the thing that needs to be promoted the most is that parents need to talk to their kids from the beginning and give clear messages that tell them not only what they should not do, but why they should not do it, with the next best thing being that the parent should set a good example. (Spratling, 1998)
According to the Spratling (1998) in his “10 tips for parents”, an article that illustrated what can be done to avoid problems with alcohol and their children. Parents should be firm in the “no use before 21” message that they give their children. A parent if they are to drink should be a good role model and their actions speak louder than words. Never serve alcohol to anyone under 21. A parent should be educated about the health and legal consequences of underage drinking. They should teach their child to have a critical eye when viewing alcohol industry advertisements and promotions. The parents should talk with the children about how to say no to alcohol and other drugs yet still save face with their friends. Many parents team up and talk with other parents. Make sure that the views of parents at the homes of the children that their kids are visiting are known, especially if the kids plan to stay overnight. Do not allow the children to host or attend a party that is unsupervised by adults. Make sure the child has the same definition of supervision that the parent has. Finally, develop open lines of communication so that the children feel comfortable talking to the parent about alcohol and any other difficult subject. Oh, Yeah, LISTEN as well.
When a child grows up and goes to college the parent must realize that college is not the same as at home. College is like a nuclear reactor. Students bounce around wildly, colliding and combining and falling apart in the chaos between early adolescence and adulthood. Colleges may try to contain and harness this energy and direct it to...