Commonsense Media says:
- Watch TV and movies with your kids, and point out drinking and smoking. Where is it shown as glamorous? Cool? Remind your kids that tobacco and alcohol companies have probably paid to have their products featured.
- Defuse funny alcohol ads, because there’s nothing funny about drunk driving. No one likes being the wet blanket, but you might remind your kids that those amusing beer ads are there for one reason: to sell alcohol. And car crashes remain the leading cause of death for kids 15 to 20.
- Share the facts about smoking with your kids. They’re hard to argue with.
- Create a gaming game plan. Set game time limits before turning on the box. It cuts out arguments and makes the time spent more enjoyable.
- Look at your whole family’s gaming and online behavior. Younger kids could be patterning themselves after older siblings, and everyone could be following your own example.
- Don’t ban gaming. Internet and console games have become entertainment facts of life for kids. They’re also learning tools. But do be careful about what kind of games they play and how long they play them.
- Keep a watchful eye for signs of Internet and game addiction. They include loss of sleep, crankiness when away from games or Internet communications, social isolation, and lying about both the amount of time spent online and contacts made through online communication.
- Don’t let 2 to 8-year-olds see TV shows or movies with addictive behaviors. But if they do see smoking, drinking, and drug use, make sure you point out the negative consequences.
- Don’t buy in. Don’t let your kids buy souvenirs or branded products that display drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes; studies show it impacts use.
- Don’t kid yourself. You may think your kids aren’t intrigued by celebrities who drink and use drugs, but they are. Talk to them about the real-life consequences, and connect the facts to their behaviors. Just think back to when you were a teenager. Need we say more?
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