While adolescence is a time of great growth, curiosity, and discovery, it can also be a time of great distress for children and their families if substance misuse is part of the picture. Often the rapid physical and emotional changes inherent in adolescence, the friction with parents and siblings, and the need to be more expressive of autonomy can result in increased stress and conflict, often with the result being more than casual exposure to drugs and alcohol. In this seminar, parents and other concerned, caring adults will learn what they can do to educate their children about alcohol and drugs, be a significant presence with respect to the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, and confront the abuse should it be discovered.
The Captain may be retired, but Dr. G is now out on work-release! Here are his comments below in red.
As a trained Social Worker with extensive experience working with troubled teens, I have some editorial comments about the latest foray into pseudo-psychology by those invisible arbiters of wisdom who work in HR.
· As a parent, I do get greatly distressed when one of my children gets into my stash, but this is nothing compared to the distress the little delinquents experience when I catch them, especially after I’ve partaken of my stash.
· I for once agree with the Noontime gurus and acknowledge that adolescence is a time of rapid physical and emotional growth but must respectfully disagree about the most effective response. Why educate your kids about drugs when they’ve already studied the subject in great detail on the bus, playground or school lavatory? The efficient course of action is inaction: though painful and awkward, adolescence does progress rapidly, so why waste time having a dialogue with your kids or attempting to discipline someone with imbalanced hormones who may or may not be high as a kite? It’ll all be over before you know it, and by that time you can probably legally evict them anyway! Just be careful about the rapid physical growth part – you may no longer be able to physically manhandle your child. Consider a firearm – just something to think about (forget about caring adults – this is your “significant presence.”).
· Never a good idea to confront anyone in an altered state (take my word for it). If you catch your kids doing drugs, just pretend you never saw anything and wait for adolescence to pass. If you must confront your stoned child, be sure to bring your “significant presence.”
Yours in self-importance,
Dr. G
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