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Please Pass the Gravy!
As we greet the new year, we tuck away more memories of close family gatherings—memories of the table draped in heirloom lace and the lingering taste of great-grandmother's gingersnaps. During the holiday season, the dinner table is a symbol for tradition and family unity; it is a place of comfort and bonding. Moving forward, it would prove especially beneficial to let this tradition extend into a year-round routine. According to a study commissioned by CASA Columbia, teens that have frequent dinners with their families are less likely to engage in alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use. The study showed that teens who had weaker relationships with their parents were more than twice as likely to have used alcohol, twice as likely to use tobacco, and three to four times more likely to have used marijuana. Healthy bonding, support, and high expectations are protective factors for establishing positive norms to prevent substance use and abuse. Family, school, and community environments offer children a space to engage in healthy relationships, and bonding through meaningful participation provides opportunities for children to develop esteem, promoting a sense of self-worth in relation to others. From the dinner table to the classroom, positive adult role models set and reinforce healthy norms for children. When parents and teachers set a positive example, children will come to expect their parents' and teachers' attitudes and behaviors to be the norm; the opposing negative attitudes and behaviors of negative influences will be seen as an unhealthy exception to the norm. High expectations from respected adults, combined with a strong support system, reinforce in children a desire to live up to their best selves, giving them the confidence they need to aspire to reaching their goals and relate to others in a healthy way. It is sometimes difficult to resist being swept away by the fast-paced current of our contemporary culture. The holidays remind us to pause and engage more frequently in meaningful exchanges with children and teens who look to us for direction, for we play a significant role in their unfolding futures. From all of us at the Mendez Foundation, we wish you a safe and fruitful new year!
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Take Five
Emotion management is one of the core components of social emotional learning skills taught in effective prevention education. Coupled with other social emotional skills, emotion management benefits children both socially and academically. Dr. Kenneth Barish, a child therapist and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Cornell University, in the Huffington Post writes, "Children who are able to regulate their emotions pay more attention, work harder, and achieve more in school." And the 2013 Too Good evaluation study showed just that-prevention education that develops social and emotional skill sets, such as emotion management, not only decreases the risk of substance use but also facilitates stronger academic performance. Research and evidence show the benefits that result from emotion management, but how can we as adult role models cultivate emotion management in children? One way is by lending an empathetic ear. When children feel they are truly being heard, they feel less a sense of urgency and therefore are able to more thoughtfully express themselves. Dr. Barish states that children are less likely to "get stuck in attitudes of blaming, argument and denial." Children are therefore more likely to take responsibility for their actions and behaviors, which prepares them to make thoughtful, rational choices. We can also heighten children's awareness of their own emotions by teaching them valuable self-assessment tools, such as learning to identify the physical signs of their emotions in addition to the thoughts and experiences associated with them. For example, children attentive to how their heart races, or to the feel of the muscles around the mouth when they are frowning, can use these physical signals as a cue to relax. When children learn to identify these signs in others, they are better able to interpret and ultimately anticipate the emotions of others. Acute social awareness provides the necessary elements to applying empathy. Socially aware children are also better able to positively influence the behaviors of those around them by deflecting conflict or intervening with a solution-based attitude. Self-aware children are empowered not only to respond to internal and external influences but to bring about positive change in potentially negative situations. Children who learn to recognize and appreciate the emotions of others develop a greater capacity to build stronger, more supportive relationships. Emotion management ultimately leads to responsible decision making, effective communication, pro-social bonding, and academic success-an established formula that emboldens children to establish a bright future for themselves.
Read moreParents Key to Substance Abuse Prevention
- by Kate Elkins - For some parents, the new marijuana legalization laws may be nerve-wracking, but there are many proven ways that parents can help prevent their sons and/or daughters from using marijuana or other drugs. Whether it’s using chew tobacco, underage drinking or marijuana usage, the principles are the same. Many parents might feel that their teens are not listening to them or that what they say has no effect. This couldn't be further from the truth. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, national surveys of teens ages 12 to 17 show that teens who believe their parents would strongly disapprove of their substance use were less likely to use substances than others. SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde reports that “Surveys of teens repeatedly show that parents can make an enormous difference in influencing their children’s perceptions of tobacco, alcohol or illicit drug use.” Talking about the effects of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs with youth and setting clear expectations against use can be critical in preventing teen usage. When it comes to the facts about marijuana’s effect on health and the consequences of using it, there are often many opinions and sides to the story. Some really good websites are available to help parents navigate talking points, and a great place to start is the National Institute on Drug Abuse (www.drugabuse.gov). It’s also important to remember that a big consequence for students is suspension from athletics and clubs in which they participate in, if caught using or possessing marijuana or other drugs (check with your school district’s athletic and activities codes and policies). On top of talking to young people about substance use and abuse, Grand Futures Prevention Coalition recommends modeling responsible behavior surrounding substance use, enrolling youths in after-school and weekend activities and removing access to alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and prescription medications in the home. Grand Futures believes that this holds true for all community members — parents, guardians, mentors, coaches, neighbors, grandparents, teachers, aunts and uncles and older siblings — its everyone’s job to ensure that young people grow up healthy and safe. Talk to the parents of your children’s friends and set expectations together. Then you can reinforce them with each other’s teens. Community standards that are consistent help set the bar higher for every child and household. Grand Futures will be publishing additional prevention tips for parents and community members as part of the Thoughtful Parenting column in the Steamboat Today in the upcoming months. Further, Grand Futures has a number of informational brochures and newsletters that parents can access by visiting our website at www.grandfutures.org. Kate Elkins on behalf of Grand Futures Prevention Coalition, Steamboat Springs Colorado. Published in Steamboat Today
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