What to do when you catch your teenager drinking? Well, first be calm! The legal drinking age varies from country to country – while you have to be 21 to drink legally in the USA, in some European countries, it is enough to be 16 years old.
Regardless of the laws, drinking can be harmful to teenagers, especially if they are just entering their teenage years. And every mother finding out that their teenager is drinking will think exactly that – what if they are binge-drinking? What if it harms their healthy development?
While you have all the right to be worried, there is no need to panic. You can sort everything out in no time.
Here are the key things to have in mind when you catch your teenager drinking.
Understand that avoiding this situation was virtually impossible.
Almost every teenager at least tries alcohol at some point.
Do not judge yourself or consider yourself being a bad mother – no matter how hard you try to save them from alcohol, peer pressure is often stronger than your parental skills and efforts.
So, for the beginning, face the fact that it virtually had to happen.
Get to the bottom of the problem.
While some teenagers drink just out of curiosity, some actually use alcohol to cope with a serious underlying problem.
Talk to your child openly and ask them if they are experiencing anything unpleasant. Perhaps they are the victims of bullying. Perhaps they are trying to cope with anxiety or depression.
Whatever it is, finding out what it is should be your priority. Avoid jumping to conclusions and judging your child for being irresponsible without actually examining what’s going on.
Clear out all the alcohol from your home.
Some families, even when the parents do not drink, have bottles of alcohol somewhere in their homes, at least for the guests and special occasions.
The statistics show that children raised in homes where alcohol could be found are more prone to experimenting with alcohol.
The risk is even higher if you drink at home, even if it is something as benign as a glass of wine during the dinner.
So, having a completely alcohol-free household will help you discourage your child from drinking.
Be open about the consequences.
Alcohol is, alongside with nicotine, the most widely abused substance in the world, and one of the leading preventable causes of numerous health conditions, from liver cirrhosis to heart disease.
Make your child aware of all those health risks. In addition, warn them about all the other dangers that can occur. Alcohol can harm their physical, as well as mental development, harming their cognitive functions.
Finally, losing control due to alcohol abuse makes them vulnerable to numerous unpredicted situations in which they can get hurt. Most teenagers know that alcohol is bad for them but not many of them know why. Make sure your child is fully informed.
Discuss the cases of alcoholism from your environment.
If you have someone in your wider family or in your neighborhood who is or was dependent on alcohol, don’t hesitate to mention them as an example. Let your child know about the complexity of the negative impacts caused by alcohol abuse. They sure don’t want to end up like those people!
Again, be completely open and insist that alcohol abuse is as dangerous for the people around as it is dangerous for those who consume it.
Talk to your child when they are sober.
If you have caught your teenager already drunk, wait for them to get sober – otherwise, you could make things worse for both.
Your impulsive anger and their confusion due to the alcohol influence won’t take you anywhere but straight to the unconstructive conversation or even a fight.
Wait for the morning or even tomorrow afternoon when you both get better.
Ask your child to commit to abstinence until they grow up.
After sharing all the details from above with your teenager, drinking should already be repulsive to them.
Make it official by asking your child to promise that they will stay away from it at least until they turn 18. Considering all the physical, mental and social consequences, they should be aware why this promise means to you.
Finally, don’t worry if you catch your teenager drinking only once. A good conversation can make things much better. But if this becomes a pattern, don’t hesitate to get stricter or even get a helping hand from a professional.
Do you have any advice on how to cope with teenage drinking? Please, join us in the comments!
Check out more of our articles on ChildrenPositive.
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