Role models, anyone? Lindsay Lohan (aka LiLo) is back in rehab. Britney was reportedly throwing up in public last weekend from too much partying ... again. Mischa Barton was hospitalized after a Memorial Day party where she allegedly mixed alcohol with antibiotics. Nicole Richie sent out an email invite to that very party and insists she was “joking” when she told her friends friends “No girls under 100 pounds. There’ll be a scale at the door.” And we all know where Paris is headed next month. Our kids are growing up with these stars and celebutantes as role models. Their antics are strewn across magazines, blogs, and the evening news. But what kids may not know is that these media role models can have a profound effect on their own behavior and expectations. So what can parents say to kids who look up to them?
Check out our talking tips:
- Point out all of the places that kids see drinking —ads, movies, TV shows, celebrity news. Tell them that these appearances are all designed to get them to drink.
- Let kids know what’s at stake—that the age many kids say they first try alcohol is 12.8 and that 47 percent of kids who start drinking before age 14 become alcoholics within 10 years.
- We already know how advertising impacts drinking among teens—so why should we underestimate the influence of today’s celebutantes? Talk to your kids about the influence of their peers and media personalities.
Relate Article: Talking to Kids About Celebrity Misbehavior
