Posts Tagged drug-free kids

How to Keep Kids Away from Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on August 4th, 2011

Many parents face the problem of keeping their kids off from drugs. Drug abuse is one of the biggest issues that families today face, and the saying “prevention is better than cure” still holds true on this matter.

drug-free kidsIt has been seen that involving in sports is one of the best ways to keep kids from drugs and alcohol. Being involved in a team gives your kids the sense of belonging where every member in the team expects nothing but the best from them. Coaches and mentors can motivate kids well to reach their full potential and achieve their goals, keeping their minds off from dangerous habits. Teams also have established rules of conduct which discourage kids to take on drugs or alcohol.

If your child isn’t the active type, you may encourage him to join different organizations or study arts and music. Your child should make the choice as to the group where he’d like to belong; don’t force him into something he’s not interested in. The group’s activities will keep your kids busy, and they won’t have time to experiment with drugs.

Finally, kids as young as 11 years old can be made to take on light jobs for a few hours a day. Whatever free time they have, encourage them to spend it wisely by having part-time jobs for kids. As they get into types of work that they enjoy, they also get paid allowing your kids to learn about the value of hard work. Even if they aren’t earning that much, the good work ethics that they can develop is something that will come in handy as they grow older.

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Ways to Ensure Drug-Free Homes

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Treatment, Raising Healthy Kids on June 2nd, 2011

The first step in ensuring your child remains drug-free starts at home. At the earliest stages of a child’s life, parents should make it clear that drug addiction is dangerous and is never allowed in the house. Here are some tips on how a home can be made drug-free at all times.

parents and kidsEvery child needs to be loved, but to do away with drugs, a home should have a balance of love and limitations.  When parents show their kids that they love them unconditionally, they are less likely to seek relief for emotional pains and problems through illegal drugs. When boundaries are set within the house where a family lives, children have better control and discipline of themselves.

Promote activities that are in accordance to your church’s teachings. There will always be a time when children face the temptation of drugs. The perfect shield is by reinforcing the family’s faith in God. Make each child realize that the body is God’s gift and that taking care of it is how we show respect to Him.

It is fact that teenagers today are not easily discouraged by truths, figures, or stories about drug addiction’s destructive impacts. This is why parents should set important rules on the unacceptability of drugs at home. Put a distinguishing factor on the serious matter of drugs and when children become curious, immediately remind them of your rules and warn them of the consequences. If they succumb to peer pressure and really get their hands on these dangerous substances, then it’s time to implement the consequences you have set.

A family is the best thing that each individual could have. When there is a strong sense of belongingness and the foundation of values are solid, then children won’t have any reason to destroy themselves and disrupt the lives of their loved ones.

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Developing a Steady EQ for Healthy, Drug-Free Kids

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on March 8th, 2010

Many parents commit the fault of disregarding the importance of developing the Emotional Quotient (EQ) of a child. As much as the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) of a child is crucial to his future, so is the development of a good EQ.

EQWhat is EQ?

EQ is the kind of intelligence that teaches the child to handle his society and its many pressures. Most children with low EQ grow up to be unable to handle stressful situations and decisions and often end up being immature and unwise. People with low EQ may react to pressures met during adolescence or during adulthood with aggression or extreme passivity, with peer dependence or social withdrawal, with drug abuse or with early sexual encounters.

Who teaches EQ?

Developing the child’s EQ relies heavily on the parents, or those who have direct interactions with the child. A child, even during his early years, learns from their principle teachers – parents or guardians –by observation and practice. It is common for a child to imitate what the parents or guardians do. When a child is learning only how to speak, they often pick up the words by association. To introduce certain objects to the child, parents often repeatedly refer to day to day objects; calling it out to them by name. In the same way, a child develops his personality on the basis of his direct environment.

Methods of Developing EQ

There is a time in the life of a child that everything that a parent says becomes truth for him or her. Children learn from the parents, that is why it is important for adults to be a good example. There are numerous EQ developing techniques out there that can be utilized, but there is no one method that works for every child. It is up to the parents or guardians to apply what is best for their child.

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Raising Your Children Away From Drugs

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on January 16th, 2010

In today’s society, there are many things that parents wish their children would never learn.  One of these is drugs. It can’t be denied that the problem of drugs has damaged too many young lives. Life is not going to be kind to teenage drug addicts, and as with any other ill, social or physical, the best remedy is prevention.

drug abuseParenting is and will always be the main issue when it comes to saving kids from drugs. When parents are able to do this successfully, there is little chance that a child would wander off from the safety of the family. Of course, this is not something that may be done overnight. It is going to be a commitment that begins the moment the child is born. And the trick is to raise this child not to have the slightest reasons for wandering off to dangerous paths such as drugs.

First thing that parents can do is to respect their child and raise him with self-respect. When an individual feels he has dignity, he will treat himself with dignity and stay away from things that cause him to lose it. This is very important to someone who is young and just learning to play the ropes of life.

The second thing parents can do is spend quality time with their children. This is another key to preventing teenage drug abuse and its importance just cannot be stressed enough.  When parents go out of their way to bond with the family, they are responding to the children’s natural need for love and acceptance. But when everybody is too busy, this need will naturally be addressed elsewhere.  This is the point that when they begin to find comfort in the company of people who may not be good influences.

There are many other things parents can do to save their children from the drug menace, but all efforts should only lead to parenthood that is based on respect, love, acceptance, discipline and responsibility. A healthy balance of these can work wonders in saving a child from drug addiction.

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