Navigating the Teens Years at NHHS

The Nathan Hale High School PTSA is hosting a forum for parents . . .

Navigating the Teen Years
February 24, 2010
Nathan Hale High School

6:15-7:00 p.m
-- Information booths including representatives from RADD (Raiders Against Destructive Decisions); Hale counselors; Teen Health Center; and Prevention Works in Seattle.

7:00 p.m.
-- Principal Jill Hudson will present Healthy Youth Survey data
-- Jamie Weber from the SAMA Foundation will talk about substance abuse and the teen brain, prevention, and treatment
-- Marion Howard from the Hale counseling center will discuss types of assistance available at the school

Where teens hear prevention messages

A national survey finds a decrease in the percentage of teenagers seeing substance abuse prevention messages in the media. The same report shows a significant rise in the level of teenagers who engaged in substance abuse-related conversations with at least one parent.

Port Angeles coalition to launch social norms marketing campaign

The SPF-SIG coalition in Port Angeles is launching a social norms marketing campaign. Above is their "warm up message". They are going to use it as a window cling and then in their parent newsletter and in places that 7th/8th grade parents frequent.

The coalition plans to develop and add on messages using their community survey results to guide them. One message will be, " . . . because Port Angeles parents ask their kids where they are and who they are with." These messages will be done mostly through posters.

Parents talk and kids listen

According to a recent article by the Associated Press, "parents appear to be talking more effectively with their children about the dangers of drug use. Parents are talking, and what you see in the study (commissioned by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America) particularly among the girls, is the willingness of kids to listen. They're more open to talking about the drug issue than kids in the past."

The full 2008 Parents Attitudes Tracking Survey is available online.

Media campaign targets parents

The Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (RUaD) recently launched a media campaign that encourages parents to talk to their children about alcohol. Radio spots, billboards, and newspaper ads can be viewed on their website.

Parent information forum January 29

From the Science and Management of Addiction Foundation (SAMA):

Free Parent Information Forum
Thursday, January 29, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Broadway Edison Building, 1701 Broadway, in Seattle

Dinner will be served!

The forum is for parents concerned about their kids' alcohol and other drug use. Learn about adolescent brain development and the effects of alcohol and other drugs. Learn how to communicate your concerns about substance use to your son or daughter, and how to get support for yourself and your child.

To register, visit the SAMA website.

Parenting influences adolescent drinking

Earlier today, I was doing an online search for information on studies about parenting to prevent underage drinking. While it wasn't what I was looking for, I came across an interesting article in Science Daily entitled, " Parental Drinking and Parenting Practices Influence Adolescent Drinking". Here's what I found most interesting:

"These two dimensions of more parental control -- monitoring and discipline -- may be useful targets for the development of intervention studies," said Windle. "The second finding is important in identifying the differential influences of parenting behaviors at different stages of adolescent development. From a developmental perspective, older adolescents are much more influenced by other socialization agents, especially peers, and perhaps stronger genetic influences, whereas in early adolescence parenting practices are more highly influential. These findings are important for designing age-appropriate interventions whereby parenting practices may play a prominent role in early adolescence, but peer, parental drinking, and other factors may need to be focused on in later adolescence."

"With respect to individual aspects of parenting, our analyses show that parental alcohol use, intoxication, and problem drinking symptoms are consistently associated with decreases in monitoring and increases in discipline," said Latendresse. "Decreases in monitoring are related to higher levels of adolescent alcohol use at age 14 and more frequent intoxication at both 14 and 17.5. Likewise, increases in discipline are linked to more frequent use and intoxication, but only when adolescents are 17.5. Although these findings are consistent with the protective effects of parental monitoring, it is important to note that excessive discipline may actually have the unintended effect of conveying greater risk for alcohol-related behaviors among adolescents as they get older, and are seeking a greater sense of autonomy."

This is why it is important to focus on PREVENTION of underage drinking. The NE Seattle coalition is doing just that with a curriculum for middle school students and parenting programs for adults with children in grades 4-8.

Parents pledge to keep kids alcohol-free in their homes

As part of the coalition's community-wide activities to prevent underage drinking, the second edition of Eckstein's Drug Free Homes Parent Pledge & Directory was released today.

Based on parent pledges implemented in other communities (often under the name of "Safe Homes"), parents agree to monitor their children and not allow underage alcohol use in their homes. The resource section provides parents with tips for keeping parties alcohol-free and information about how to recognize signs of alcohol and drug use among youth.

By signing the pledge, parents signal to other parents, children, and the community that they do not think underage drinking is acceptable.

The pledge is not a legally-binding contract -- it's one tool parents can use to prevent underage drinking and drug use. For information about other parenting resources and programs, visit www.PreventionWorksInSeattle.org.