Two out of three Oklahoma youth report that their parents have NOT spoken to them within the last 12 months about alcohol.* When it comes to talking with your children, the key is frequency. It doesn’t have to be an hour long lecture.
One important way is to help youth interpret the messages our culture gives us about alcohol. In this shirt (seen in a local big box store), the message is that alcohol changes our mood and emotions. Start a conversation with your child. Ask them if they think alcohol is the best way to change one’s emotional state? What are the potential risks versus the rewards? Are there better ways to change one’s mood (follow us to see our Saturday posts where we feature a different coping skill each week)? Why don’t we see as many t-shirts about these other methods?
*OPNA
