April is Alcohol Awareness Month. It’s the perfect time to start a conversation with your children about alcohol. Take the time, make the effort, and use the sources of strength that are surrounding you. Family support + healthy activities will get the ball rolling.
Teaching your children about the dangers of under-age drinking is an important step in raising responsible tweens & teenagers. Short, frequent discussions can have a real impact on your child’s decisions about alcohol. Family support and communication is key.
Conversation and family activities can go hand in hand. Plan something fun for the whole family. There are always a variety of healthy activities available. Play a board game, watch a movie, help them with their homework, TAKE A WALK! Here are some links to loads of online fun:
- Disney’s online activities can be found at HERE
- Khan Academy website HERE
- Broadway Stars are streaming online performances
- Botanical Garden in Seattle is live streaming plants to help you relax
- Live stream aquarium
- Smithsonian Releases 2.8 Million Images Into Public Domain
- Take a virtual tour of a 17th Century shipwreck
- #OperationStoryTime
- Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems
- Click here for a list of resources created by sourcesofstrength.org as schools move to an online format in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- & more! Give google a whirl and find a whole world of fun online…
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And remember, what you do is as important as what you say. Setting a good example by not drinking or simply drinking responsibly shows that you practice what you preach. What you do impacts your child more than you might think. Children watch parents and form habits by what they see every day at home.
For more information on talking to your kids about alcohol, click here. Other good resources can be found at www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking/parent-resources.
