Most parents don't comprehend what kind of impact they will have on their teen, particularly as it relates to his/her drinking habits and attitudes towards alcohol or drugs.
Recent research has recently suggested that parents actually do have an impact on their children's views towards binge drinking, which is defined as having five5 or more drinks in a row – according to a new Brigham Young University study.
The study, which recently surveyed nearly 5,000 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 regarding their alcohol consumption habits and their relationship with their parents. The research looked at how much positive interaction parents really have with their teenagers, how diligent they are in monitoring who they hang out with and how they are spending their time. The results where not astounding:
* The teens least prone to heavy drinking had parents who scored high on both accountability and warmth.
* So-called easy going parents, those low on accountability and high on warmth, nearly tripled the risk of their son or daughter participating in heavy drinking.
* “Strict” parents – high on accountability and low on warmth – more than doubled their teen’s risk of heavy drinking.
So, what should parents expect? Parents actually will teach their children better more healthy habits if they are warm and honest with them. Making their children accountable, but not doing it from a tyrannical approach.
The statistical information also revealed that religious teens were significantly less likely to drink any illegal beverages. Other studies on religion have also proved that more religious families tend to have less drinking and drug use, particularly with teens under 19 years of age.
Who a teen spends their time with also plays a key role in drinking. Teens with peers who don't drink are clearly less likely to drink then kids with friends that like to party. Parents can play a key role in helping minimize teenage drinking by paying closer attention to who their son or daughter is spending time with.
Parents can't always stop who their kids hang out with, but parents do influence their decisions. Parents who play an active role in helping make good decisions in other aspects of their kids lives will also expect to see similar results as it relates to alcohol and drug use.
For parents, prevention is vitally important. Parents may want to take a preventative approach by having their teen take an online alcohol and drug awareness class or minor in possession class. These educational classes can be taken completely online from any location in the U.S.