It can be very difficult to deal with a child who is abusing substances or engaging in risky behaviors. Your child has broken your trust and is making choices that are potentially putting him/her in harm's way. This is something no parent ever wants for their child. Fortunately, there are things you do to guide your child’s behavior in a better direction. In the articles below, you'll find expert advice on child and teenage substance abuse and risky behavior in children.
“No one is immune to the disease of addiction,” warns Katherine Ketcham, the coauthor of thirteen books, including Teens Under the Influence: The Truth About Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs – How to Recognize the Problem and What to Do About It and the bestselling classic Under the Influence: A Guide to the Myths and... Read more »
In part two of this series on running away, James tells you how to handle it when your child is on the streets, and what to say when they come home—including giving them consequences for their actions. [Editor’s Note: The intent of this article is to support parents in situations where their child uses running away... Read more »
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare—you go to check on your child in the middle of the night, and she’s not there. Your heart starts pounding and you fly into panic mode, calling her friends, your relatives, and the police. Whether or not your child has run away or threatened to do so—or you fear that she... Read more »
As a family therapist, over the years many parents have come to me and said, “My child has so much going for him, but he’s just throwing his life away. Why is he doing drugs? Why is he dropping out of school? Why is he making terrible choices with his life when he has so... Read more »
Do you feel like your child has messed up so badly that you might never be able to trust him again? Has he wrecked the car, been caught drinking or using drugs, stolen something from school, or gotten involved in vandalism? As a parent, you are probably feeling hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed—and you wonder, “Will... Read more »
In 2014, Colorado voters in the United States passed a landmark law legalizing the sale and purchase of marijuana. Fast-forward to 2020 and more than 40 states have laws legalizing marijuana is some form, including several states that have made possession and recreational use legal. Canada legalized marijuana in 2018 and similar movements are underway... Read more »
You thought your son was just experimenting with drugs but had stopped. Now he’s failed a drug test for his work-study program at school, and you know: this is serious. Your teen daughter is hanging around with kids who are notorious for drinking and partying on the weekends. She’s come home drunk twice this month.... Read more »
It’s Saturday night, and kids all over North America are hanging out at their friends’ houses, watching movies, going to parties. And children as young as 11 are taking their first drink of alcohol—the average age when boys start drinking. For girls, that age is now 13. More and more kids are drinking hard liquor,... Read more »
Many times on the parent coaching team, we hear from parents who say something like this: “My teen went out with friends last night. I think they were drinking, but I’m not sure. What kind of consequence can I give my child to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?” When I get calls like this,... Read more »
Parents often wonder how much privacy their children need and ask me if it's okay to violate it. Personally, I believe there should be a direct link between the amount of responsibility, consistency, and honesty that kids show and the amount of privacy they're allowed to have. But, before we get to the subject of... Read more »
