It’s not easy being a teen in today’s society. There are so expectations from parents that may not be tangible for the teen. Maybe the parent wants their teen to get straight A’s, be involved in school clubs, and play an instrument. Add those pressures to the expectations from the teens peers, and life can truly be chaotic. Teens also put pressure on themselves, as they see so many commercials showing what they really “should look like”. With all of these pressures, it’s not so out of the question to think that drugs may seem like a good idea for them.
I think that one of the ways that parents can reduce the chance of their teen trying drugs, is to simply talk to them about what’s going on in their life. Maybe something’s going wrong in school or with a peer. If the parent can get to the core of the problem, maybe they can prevent their teen from becoming so overwhelmed. I also think that parents should talk to their kids about drugs, and tell them about personal stories that they might have had with themselves or friends. If their teen hears a story about someone making poor choices when they are on drugs, maybe they won’t be tempted to do it.
Communication is key when it comes to teens and their parents. If no one talks about their problems, teens are more likely to reach their turning point and reach out for relief from the stress. Drugs may be one of these reliefs, which is why it’s so important to parents and teens to communicate about anything going on in their lives.