Teachable Moments

By Time to Talk
Feb. 8, 2010

The kitchen offers endless opportunities for getting together, so while you’re checking out recipes, mixing and baking chocolate treats together, you can catch up on your children’s busy lives, and also talk about some serious subjects in a relaxed setting.

Parents and caregivers can turn baking delicious desserts with their families into Teachable Moments that encourage children to make good choices for themselves.

While it’s important to talk to your children about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse in order to safeguard them from these risky behaviors, the best recipe for open honest communication with your kids is equal parts listening and learning from the cues your children give you.

 

Here are some Teachable moments:

(1) Learn From Your Child By Listening To Them:

Listening to your children can be the best lesson for parents.

If your son or daughter tells you about a friend who got in trouble at school for smoking, drinking or using drugs, use this opportunity to reinforce why drugs are dangerous and why you want your kids to avoid making the same mistakes their friend made.

Let them know they can always be honest with you, come to you with any questions and that you love them and want to protect them.

 

(2) Learn From Others Mistakes:

Your teen’s favorite movie star or musician has just entered drug/alcohol rehab for the third time. You and your child have seen the reports on TV and have read stories on the internet about how this popular star is constantly in trouble with the law.

Use this as a perfect opportunity to reinforce the point that role models should also be those who behave responsibly, don’t do drugs or have taken the initiative to get help for a drug or alcohol problem.

 

(3) Healthy Bodies, Healthy Lives:

Encourage your kids to play sports and participate in outdoor activities or join afterschool clubs in order to keep them active.

Reinforce the importance of health and taking good care of our bodies in addition to remaining active and making good choices for themselves.

Remind your son or daughter that using drugs and drinking is not only dangerous to their health, but can have lasting consequences that will prevent them from doing the fun things they enjoy in the future.

Source: Time to Talk

 

Editor’s Note: we would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com