Once only common among street addicts, meth has now taken hold in San Diego high schools, offering teenagers a hardcore high for a small fee of $10 – if not for free. It was just April of this year that meth-laced pills disguised as “Smarties” candies were confiscated from a middle school 8th-grader at Ione Junior High, just a couple hours from San Diego. Many, for the most part, believe this to be an isolated incident, but it is a well needed wake–up call for parents to start paying close attention to their children, as many are unintentionally being exposed to illicit substances. Parents often instil in their kids, “don’t take candy from strangers”, but in this case it may be coming from the person sitting next to them in class…a friend. Many parents tend to underestimate how easy it is for children in San Diego to be exposed to illicit substances. Naturally, they may end up overlooking signs of a drug addiction, mistaking them to be a normal part of puberty. As parents, it’s important to notice any changes in your children’s behaviour. Giving them too much space or trying to be their friend rather than a parent may result in you enabling their addiction. Here’s how you can avoid enabling your teenager: Don’t Be Afraid To Act If You Notice Behavioral Changes If your prescription opioids suddenly go missing from the medicine cabinet in your bathroom or your teenaged son starts stumbling home at odd hours of the night, do not ignore it. Merely overlooking this change in behaviour means that you’ve given them permission to continue. It’s unlikely that your child will stop if they realize that there are no consequences for their actions. Worst case scenario, you may be enabling an addiction. Establish Boundaries For Your Teenager Every child wants to have boundaries and limits whether they’re aware of it or not, especially in a big city like San Diego. In fact, many kids have resorted to drugs and alcohol as a cry for help or attention from their parents. While it’s important for children to learn on their own, sometimes this is not what’s best for them, or what they want. By establishing boundaries and limits for them to follow, you’re creating a safe place for them to grow as they transition into adulthood. Set Consequences That Work Establishing rules and consequences is essential to effective parenting and may save your child from ending up in San Diego, CA, addiction Rehab center. When your teenager ignores the rules you have established, there should be consequences for their actions. For example, if you set a curfew and your teenager ignores it or appears to have been out smoking, he or she should be striped of some sort of privilege or grounded. While this does not guarantee that he or she will start obeying the rules, as a parent you would have done your part to influence their future decisions positively.
Being a good parent isn’t about being the perfect parent. It’s about the willingness to support your teenager while guiding them on the right path to adulthood. Like you were with your parents, there are times when your kids will resent you. The worst thing that could happen is that you end up enabling their erratic behaviour in fear of this resentment that will likely pass as they grow. When it comes to parenting a teen, tough love is the best kind of love. Need more help? If so, BLVD Treatment Centers offer drug and alcohol intervention in addition to our other San Diego, CA drug addiction treatment services. We now have a location in San Diego in the popular neighborhood of Hillcrest. Don’t hesitate to call us!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLooking for an addiction treatment center? Find information about programs and services from BLVD Treatment Centers, a Los Angeles addiction center. Explore drug and alcohol treatment resources and connect with others in recovery. Start your new life in recovery today. Archives
January 2017
Categories |