Deciding when and how to talk to your kids about drugs can be quite a difficult task. In today’s information-driven society, the earlier, the better. High school and even junior high will probably be late in the game. There is ample opportunity for your child to learn about drugs from the media – particularly Internet, where there is widespread, instant access to information (and misinformation) on a vast array of topics. With more households having a two-parent income, more time is spent away from children, which often leads to less stringent supervision and discipline. Curious minds will wander, and if they are not armed with the correct information, children could easily fall into some pretty tempting traps.

Begin discussions with your children early on about basic concepts like peer pressure, bullies, trust, honesty, physical health, etc. Discuss these topics as young as Kindergarten if you feel it is appropriate, and be sure to use age-appropriate language. Do not lecture, but make it more of an open discussion. For instance, you might ask if your child likes all the children in their class, are there any mean kids, is your child trying to be nice to everyone, etc. Their answers may provide a springboard for further discussion.

For instance, if your child expresses concern about one child’s mean behavior, further probing may uncover what exactly the child is doing to create that image. It could open up a discussion about how not everyone behaves nicely and does the right thing at all times. Encourage your child to seek “nice” friends, while trying to be nice to the “mean” children, without imitating their behavior. Explain that it is OK to tell an adult if the “mean” child is hurting someone or behaving inappropriately. It is important to build trust with adults, but especially in parent-child relationships so the child will feel comfortable discussing anything with the parent at any time.

Most important throughout the school years is to be inquisitive. Ask your child about their day and listen for verbal cues that they are unhappy, frustrated or otherwise upset about something. Try to encourage them to open up and talk about it with you. Encourage and praise their successes, within reason, to build self-esteem. An open parent-child relationship and healthy self-esteem are strong deterrents against negative peer pressure, the leading cause of school-age drug use.

Try to engage in physical activity as a family. It could be anything from hiking to swimming to biking around the neighborhood. Not only will this be a bonding experience to encourage discussion, honesty and trust within the family, but it will also foster an appreciation of physical health. If parents work hard to forge an open, honest relationship with their child, then the child will very likely feel comfortable asking questions in the future. When these questions begin, or whenever the parent feels the time is right and the child is mature enough, talk could sway toward drugs and their negative health effects. Discussion about drugs could begin with generalities, with encouragement for the child to feel free to approach the parent(s) if they have any more questions about drugs in the future. Sometimes a parent may be afraid to discuss their own experiences with drug use, for fear of appearing hypocritical. However, focusing on the negative consequences of the drug use and any drug rehab experiences will be an effective use of that history.