Press Release

Busy Parents Checklist

Liz Whitaker

My name is Liz Whitaker and I am the mother of three sons, ages 23, 19 and 12. As a parent I feel it is an important to be informed about underage drinking issues and I found the following information to be helpful.

There is so much information out there for parents on underage drinking prevention and parenting tips. So what’s a parent to do with all this information? To help, we’ve boiled down some key advice into a convenient checklist that helps you keep in mind simple, easy steps you can take each day, week and month to stay connected to your teen.

Try to do Daily:

• Know your teen’s main activities and plans for the day.
• Know where your teens are when you are at work or not otherwise with them, and who they are likely to be with.
• If appropriate for that day, remind your teen about relevant rules.
• At the end of the day, ask about your teen’s activities.
• Praise and thank your teen for good behavior.
• Check that homework and other responsibilities have been completed.
• Try to have family meals together or engage in a family activity on a regular basis.

Try to do Weekly:

• Take some time to check in with each child. Set 20 minutes aside to find out how friendships are going, what’s happening at school and what other events are important in your teen’s life.
• Ask your teen mid-week if there are any special plans for the weekend that require your input. Do this early to avoid last-minute conflict.
• Every once in a while, check that your teens are where they say they are going to be.
• Encourage your teen to have a friend over or engage in fun activities together.
• Remind your teen about weekday/ weekend rules when appropriate.

Try to do Monthly:

• Make sure you’ve had at least a couple of individual activities or outings with your teen.
• Check the temperature of your relationship. How are things going?
• Check in with your teen to see what has taken up his or her time and interest this month, and discuss it. Ask if there’s anything you can do to help.
• Make sure you’ve followed through on any recent promises to your teen.
• Plan one special family event or activity. Try to do things that your teens enjoy.
• Get a report from teachers on your teen’s school progress. Check in with coaches or a guidance counselor about extracurricular activities.
• Take a monitoring inventory. Who has your teen been spending time with? What has he been doing? Follow up on any red flags or concerns.
• What have they been spending their money on?
• Stay up-to-date on news and trends among teens in the area. Talk with other parents and discuss concerns with your kids.
• Check in with your teens about rules. If they’ve been doing well, then be flexible and reward them in meaningful ways. When your teens are ready, allow them more freedoms.

Information in this article was found in Navigating the Teen Years, written by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. You can also find this entire publication at www.kccn-dfc.com.

The Kittitas County Community Network/Drug Free Communities Coalition and the Community Network agency, through a federal Drug Free Communities grant, are implementing the “Start Talking Before They Start Drinking” campaign as a community service for parents. For more information go to www.kccn-dfc.com.