Know your teen. As you establish family policy, consider your teenager’s personality and tendencies. If he’s prone to depression, for example, he may be more apt to use alcohol as an escape during the forced gaiety of the holidays or as “self-medication” and to see a joyride as a break from reality, says Dr. King. (If your teen seems unusually irritable, tired, or withdrawn, seek professional help.) A teen highly susceptible to peer pressure may also be at risk for drinking problems. These traits should be a factor in setting house rules on drinking.
Know yourself. There’s no evidence that teens whose parents drink moderately are more apt to drink than teens whose parents abstain. Still, teens tend to imitate their parents’ habits. If you drink every night and at every social occasion, you show that this is acceptable. The same goes if you laugh at drunkenness. Model responsible behavior by having a designated driver when your family goes out to dinner. Also, show your teen sober fun by hosting alcohol-free parties and by abstaining once in a while.
Enforce consequences. Make it clear to your teen that driving is a privilege—not a right—that you will take away if you ever find he’s been drinking and driving or in a car whose driver has been drinking. You both might sign a contract that outlines rules and expectations. (Allstate offers an excellent one; to download it here.)
Keep tabs on your teen. It’s hard to stay on top of everything when you’re a busy working mom, but it’s critical to know who your teen’s friends are and where they’re going. Your best policy: Let your teen know you’re aware. Follow Dr. Wolf’s advice and “be the kind of parent who’s awake and greets her teen when he comes home at night.”
For more information:
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
By Christina Frank
