Before You Order Another Appletini…
When I picked up my daughter Sasha from school she proudly announced that a special visitor had come into their second grade classroom to discuss alcohol abuse. I was pleased that my daughter and her peers were being exposed to alcohol prevention so early. I know that early prevention statistically shows a decrease in the onset of kids drinking and addiction. In addition, I had been working diligently through my job to create an effective drug and alcohol prevention program in a near by school district.
I asked Sasha what she had learned, hoping to steal a few good ideas for my own program, and of course, to see how she was processing her new gained knowledge from someone 
other then her mother. “They said beer was alcohol, so I raised my hand and told them that my mom loves Appletinis. I asked them if Appletinis are alcohol too, and did you know mom… they are!?” You can imagine my surprise! After great effort to teach my child about the dangers of alcohol, it was a casual conversation with a friend joking about a recent event we attended and how we really enjoyed the Appletinis that my daughter picked up on.
The messages we send our children are not always conscious ones. Parents need to be mindful about their casual habits regarding drugs and alcohol. Sit down and have a conversation with your children regarding alcohol. Take it from me…. your children really are taking their cues from you.
Written by: June Grushka-Rosen (Miss. June Bug) M.Ed. is a Life Coach, Educator, Psychotherapist and mommy of two.
To contact - LifeCoachingYou@Verizon.net
P.S. Check back tomorrow for June’s tips on talking to your kids about alcohol.
Tags: alcohol, drinking, keep kids from drinking, kids, Parenting, positive
January 4th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Thank you for this! My children are still in elementary school and I did not realize it is not too young to start addressing these issues with them. Important not to miss this potential problem,especially as peer pressure becomes more of a concern as they get older.
January 4th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Thanks Lori. Our next blog has tips on how to talk to your children about alcohol.
January 4th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
My 4 year old asked me privately “Wine is only for adults, right? I’m too young for wine, right?” after an adult at a family gathering jokingly asked him if he wanted some wine. When he said “No!” and everyone laughed, he looked confused. I made sure I got him away from the group for a minute so I could clarify it to him. Thank you for the reminder that this is an on-going issue to address.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I think it’s worth noting that children (babies, etc.) should not be given empty beer bottles to use as “whistles”. Their senses are so keen I don’t understand why adults risk having the smell/taste of beer “imprinted” on their quickly developing brains. As you can see, I came under fire for this when I made a stink at a party over this particular issue.