PARENTS OF TEENS:
Having The Conversation
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Teens often use faulty logic to persuade themselves it’s okay to do dangerous things. 1 Help them make better choices by calmly refuting poor reasoning: 1
Teen: If I do this dangerous activity just once, nothing will happen to me.
Parent: This activity is dangerous because you can get seriously hurt if you do it. Once is all it takes for tragedy to happen.
Teen: I did this dangerous activity before and nothing bad happened.
Parent: Yes, but next time could be completely different. You’ll stay safer by avoiding dangerous activities.
Teen: Fatal crashes from underage drinking are so rare that they couldn’t possibly happen to me.
Parent: If other teens died from getting in a car with a drunk driver, it shows you how dangerous that choice is. Risky behavior doesn’t become safer if someone else gets hurt.
Explain to your child, “I love you and care about your well-being; that’s why I want you to make smart choices.” 2
Learn about:
CLICK HERE FOR REFERENCES
1. Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University. (2005) Parents as a Resource: Talking with Adolescents About Alcohol.
2. Resnick, Michael D, et al. “Protecting Adolescents From Harm: Findings From the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health,” JAMA, September 10, 1997. Vol 278, No. 10. Read more
