Most parents are super-tuned toward their children. The term “helicopter” parent is a recently coined term to describe the modern parent that hovers incessantly over little Johnny. We don’t miss a game or piano recital. We hire tutors and trainers as if their college entrance depended on it. We give them the best of everything and do our darndest to shelter them from the storm. We want them to have every advantage we can possibly provide. We spare no expense. We even monitor their whereabouts via our iphones and all kinda tracking apps to make sure they make it safely to their destinations. And there it is. There’s the why behind our worrying ways. We know the world is a terrifying place and we worry little Johnny’s a bit naive.
We are naive. We are, in fact, clueless.
Did you know that the only category American teens are leading the world in is the one category where we wish they were lagging. While we line up their next tutor and arrange their next learning event, they are distressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by it all. So, they smoke. I mean they really smoke.
In fact, our teenagers, according to research done by David Sheff in his book Clean, are making it no contest when it comes to drug consumption. By a large margin American teens are leading the way when it comes to drinking, smoking, inhaling, injecting, swallowing, snorting, and huffing all kinda shit to get high. Actually, their aim is simply to get by…
When parents are asked to rank the 16 reasons why they think their kids are getting high, we list “drugs are fun” as numero uno; teens, not so much. Teens rank “drugs are fun” as number 15 out of 16. Teens top three, you ask…
1. “Forget their troubles.” (32%)
2. “Deal with problems at home.” (24%)
3. “Cope with school pressure.” (20%)
We, as parents, remain clueless.
“Just say no” did NOT work. DARE has been an epic fail. Programs cannot replace a parent, over Sunday supper, asking their teens to open up. And, keep asking when the response is a grunt or a growl. And, keep asking when it’s a glare. And just say no to another event, another distraction, or another night on the road. We, as parents, can keep asking, keep asking, and keep asking. And, some evening, some afternoon there will be an opening. The prepared, available parent will have a chance…
The war on drugs hasn’t worked and won’t anytime soon. You see, drugs are a feelings disorder. Drug abuse is a symptom of something deeper. And,this isn’t a couple beers kinda experiment going down. This is a widespread epidemic of teens falling for drugs paradoxical promise to help them feel more, and help them feel less. And they deliver.
There are no easy answers. Listening over Sunday suppers, may be a good start…
BUILT TO LEAD 