AAP PARENTING CORNER Q & A: ALCOHOL ABUSE

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Parenting Corner Q & A: Alcohol Abuse

How can I help my child avoid using and abusing alcohol?

Education about alcohol should begin early. Parents can help their children resist alcohol use in these ways:

Give your child a sense of confidence. This is the best defense against peer pressure. Build your child's self-esteem with praise and avoid frequent criticism.
Listen to what your child says. Pay attention, and be helpful during periods of loneliness or doubt.
Know who your child's friends are and make a point to get to know them.
Provide parental supervision. Don't allow your teen to attend parties where alcohol is being served. Insist that a parent be present at parties to supervise. Contact other parents to arrange alcohol-free social events.
Offer a "free call home." Drinking and driving may lead to death. Make sure your child knows not to ride with a driver who has been drinking. Let him know that he can call home without fear of consequences that night. Discuss the incident the next day.
Help your child learn to handle strong emotions and feelings. Model ways to control stress, pain, or tension.
Talk about things that are important issues for your child, including alcohol, drugs, and the need for peer-group acceptance.
Encourage enjoyable and worthwhile outside things to do; avoid turning leisure time into chores.
Join your child in learning all you can about preventing alcohol abuse. Programs offered in schools, churches, and youth groups can help you both learn more about alcohol abuse.

Parents should set a good example at home by limiting their own use of alcohol and other drugs. Having a drink should never be shown as a way to cope with problems. Don't drink in unsafe conditions ?- driving the car, mowing the lawn, using the stove, etc. Don't encourage your child to drink or to join you in having a drink. Never make jokes about getting drunk; make sure that your children understand that it is neither funny nor acceptable. Show your children that there are many ways to have fun without alcohol. Happy occasions and special events don't have to include drinking.

Parents who don't drink should be aware that this alone will not guarantee their children and teenagers won't use alcohol. Parents who are alcoholics or problem drinkers place their children at increased risk of alcohol dependence. Studies suggest that alcoholism may run in the family. One out of 5 young adults with an alcoholic parent is likely to become an alcoholic too.

Your pediatrician understands that good communication between parents and children is one of the best ways to prevent alcohol use. If talking with your teenager about alcohol is difficult, your pediatrician may be able to help open the lines of communication. If you suspect your child is using alcohol or any other drug, ask your pediatrician for advice and help.

Healthcare professionals may order this publication in multi-copy packs.
Parents can find more information on this topic in Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. To order a copy of this book visit the AAP Bookstore.

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The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

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