Are You a Hands On Parent?

Hands-On Parenting is a concept that developed from surveys administered to teens by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. The youth whose parents were really involved in their lives - hands-on parents - were the youth least likely to be involved with drugs.

The surveyed youth stated they felt that their parents were the single greatest influence in their decisions against using drugs - stronger than that of friends, teachers and the media.

The survey found that teens with "hands-on" parents - parents who have established a household culture of rules and expectations for their teen's behavior and monitor what their teen does - are at one quarter the risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs as teens with "hands-off" parents.

Are you a Hands-On Parent?

Take the test

Your teen knows you expect to be told where teen is going in the evening or on weekends

Your teen knows that you would be "extremely upset" to find teen using marijuana

There are not periods of time of an hour or more after school or on weekends when you do not know where your teen is

You monitor what your teen is watching on TV

You impose restrictions on the kind of music CDs your teen is allowed to buy

You are very aware of how your teen is doing in school

You monitor your teen's Internet use

Your family typically has dinner together six or seven nights a week

Teen has a weekend curfew (72 percent do)

An adult is always at home when teen returns from school

Teen is responsible for completing regular chores (88 percent are)

The TV is not on during dinner

Raising Drug-Free Kids

Take every opportunity to build lines of communication with your children. Do things as a family. Spend time together - eat dinner as a family, read together, play a game, visit a museum, go to the park, attend religious services. Show that fun doesn't involve drugs.

Take a more active interest in what is going on in your children's lives. Listen to their cares and concerns. Know what they are up to - what parties they are going to, with whom, and what will be served or available.

Children today are sophisticated. To educate your child about the danger of drugs, you need to educate yourself first. In many cases, you and your child can learn side by side. Sit down together and learn about the risks drugs pose.

Look for the warning signs that your child may be developing a substance abuse problem and get help before they problem occurs.

By setting limits on what is acceptable behavior, you show our children you care and help guide them to a safer, drug-free future. Declare limits: "This family doesn't do drugs. This family doesn't hang around people who do drugs." Enforce these limits. If you say no drugs or no drinking and driving, the rule applies to parents, too. Be consistent.

Effective prevention extends beyond the home into the community. Get involved in your community. Ensure that your community's streets, playgrounds and schools are safe and drug-free. Start or join a community watch group or community anti-drug coalition. Become active in the PTA. Get involved in your church, synagogue or faith community.