At What Age Should I Talk To My Child About Drugs?
Drugs are undoubtedly one of the “coconuts” that all parents fear. We wish with all our might that drugs never reach our children and we wonder what to do to keep them out of their lives.
However, drugs begin to lurk early, since our little ones go to school, to spend the afternoon at a friend’s house, since they begin to make their own friends out of our reach. Teach them how to stay off drugs.
At what age should I talk to my child about drugs?
There is no milestone age for talking to your child about drugs for the first time, nor is there a milestone for talking about the value of honesty, for example. The opportunity will present itself to you, take advantage of it. But it will be so much better if you already have an idea of what you want to convey, in this you should not improvise.
What should I tell him?
This will depend on your child’s age and maturity level. It is always convenient to answer your questions with truth, naturalness and precision. Don’t make a mess of yourself by going further.
If your child has asked you what drugs are, answer just that. Try to figure out how the unknown came to him, maybe that way you will have a clue of what he really wants to know. Maybe he heard that on television they talked about “drugs to combat some diseases” using it as a synonym for medicine, so you should not give him a speech about something that he does not know and that he has not asked to know.
Prepare the information
What is necessary is that you already have in mind what you are going to answer when the question arrives or when the opportunity presents itself. This will have to do with your ethical and moral stance on the matter. But don’t wait for the moment to improvise, keep in mind what you want your child to know.
Provide information that has to do with addictions as a disease that ends up destroying people physically, emotionally, socially and financially. Give concrete examples of the deterioration and the effects that drug addiction has on people’s lives. So surely that will not be the path your child will walk.
Things your child should know before talking about drugs
There are some learnings and concepts that your little one should be clear about before talking about drugs. Remember that education in values begins from childhood and is taught especially by example. These are some of the concepts or principles that your little one should know and experience:
- Self-esteem and security. Make sure your child has a positive concept of himself, that he feels proud of who he is. Also, teach him to trust his judgment and not depend on the opinion of others. This will help you stand up to group pressure.
- Honesty. Make sure your child knows that “being good” doesn’t depend on whether they are watching me or not. One must be honest out of conscience.
- The value of trust. Your child should know that you trust him, that you respect him as a responsible person. You should also know that trust is lost, and then you have to work very hard to earn it again.
- Choose good friends. Teach him the value of true friendship. Make sure they know that a true friend will never force them to do things they don’t want to do, nor will they put them in danger.
Communication is the queen of strategies
Although it sounds infinitely trite, maintain good communication with your children. Create a family dynamic so that everyone feels confident to ask and comment about anything. When your children come to you to talk, listen carefully, put yourself in their shoes, be warm and receptive.
When you have to reprimand them or call their attention, try that the consequence is proportional to the fault. Even if your little one has earned a reprimand, always leave the door open so that communication continues to flow. Make him see that he can always count on you, that even if he has made a mistake once, he will always have another opportunity to do better and you will be there to accompany him, support him and trust him again.
