Sue Scheff: Drugs, Alcohol and Peer Pressure - Visit The Cool Spot

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. No matter what time of the year it is, talking to your kids about the dangers of alcoholism and drinking is critical. Just say no to drugs, but also say no to drinking. Parents are the anti-drug.

The Cool Spot is a place for teens and tweens to learn more about alcohol and resisting peer pressure. The Cool Spot was created for kids 11-13 years old by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The NIAAA is the lead U.S. agency supporting research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of alcohol problems. It is a component of the National Institutes of Health, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Peer pressure is a common thread when kids are trying to fit in. Most one to be part of a cool group, but at what cost?

  • Pressure is the feeling that you are being pushed toward making a certain choice-good or bad.
  • A peer is someone in your own age group.
  • Peer pressure is-you guessed it-the feeling that someone your own age is pushing you toward making a certain choice, good or bad.
On a positive note, peer pressure isn't all bad. There are good things about peer pressure too.

You and your friends can pressure each other into some things that will improve your health and social life and make you feel good about your decisions.

Think of a time when a friend pushed you to do something good for yourself or to avoid something that would've been bad.

Learn the facts about alcohol. When is too much, too soon or too risky? Visit The Cool Spot and encourage your kids to visit it and interact with the quizzes and valuable information.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier children. Read more.

Popular posts from this blog

Teens Starting College: Transition Blues

Image
Mental illness continues to mystify the mainstream, and students already stressed and anxious about classes, relationships, jobs and activities end up suffering from the stigmas just as much as the conditions themselves. But they don’t have to nurture their pain in quiet. More and more individuals (students or not), their loved ones and organizations are speaking up in favor of psychological help in all its forms. The following list represents some of the most common conditions occurring on campuses globally, though by no means should it be considered a comprehensive glimpse at an issue far more broad and complex. Clinical Depression : At least 44% of college students have reported suffering from some degree of clinical depression — and the number only escalates from there as years tick past. Thanks to prevailing social stigmas regarding psychiatric help, only 23% of victims reported that they’d be comfortable discussing their treatment. Considering the amount of s...
Read more

How to Find NATSAP Schools for My Troubled Teen

Image
  Searching for  schools for troubled teens online  can be tedious and confusing. If this is your first time searching for therapeutic boarding schools for your troubled teenager, learning the terminology will be one of your first lessons. 5 Tips to Untangle the Troubled Teen Industry Terminology “ My teen needs a Military school to teach them a lesson!”  WRONG. Military schools  are a privilege and honor to attend, they are not for defiant, drug-using, depressed, or other behavioral issues students. They do   not   provide mental health services – and if your teen is using drugs, drinking, or vaping now – by attending an open campus, it is likely s/he will consider the use again. However, this time when he is caught (typically three strike you are out) and the parents will forfeit their tuition. This is the same for any of the behavioral issues they are asked to leave or expelled for – you will be risking your tuition as well as  setting your ch...
Read more

Teenage Mental Health Options

Image
Teenage mental health is a growing concern, since 2020 studies have revealed that adolescent depression and anxiety has doubled. This is also causing the rise of suicide ideation and   self-harm   as well as youth self-medicating.  Since 2001 we have helped  educate  parents regarding  mental health options   for troubled teens in addition to  therapeutic boarding schools . This is not a decision that is made lightly. Has your teenager’s behavior been  escalating  for  more than a year ? Are they becoming more withdrawn? Depressed or isolated? More common is the following: -Defiance (ADHD, ODD) -Anger, rage -Cell-phone addiction (self-destructs when the phone is removed) -School refusal (skipping classes) -Lacks motivation -Changing peer groups -Substance use (self-medicating) -Self-harm (relieves anxiety) -Change in eating habits -Poor hygiene   Your teenager may be suffering with mental health issues that need to be addressed...
Read more