The Nazarene

Wellbeing Report

Is your teen starting to go out to parties?

Recently my daughter turned 17 and we celebrated with a party at home with 80 of her closest friends. While she had a fantastic night, it was a long and stressful one for me. On the whole, the behaviour of her friends was good, but it was an eye-opening evening nonetheless!

When teenagers go out with their friends, they will be confronted with many new and challenging situations, and their decisions and behaviour can have significant implication for their own future and the future of others. So, it is incumbent on us as parents to ensure we provide our children with the knowledge and skills which will help to keep them safe while they are out.

Paul Dillon is a leading drug educator and the Director and founder of DARTA - Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia. He is passionate about ensuring that the community has access to accurate and up-to-date alcohol and other drug information.

In his recent blog '5 things parents should discuss with their teen before they leave for a sleepover, party or gathering', he has expert advice to parents on how they can improve the safety of their children when they are out. His main points are:

'You can call me anytime, anywhere – if something goes wrong and you need me – I'll be there!'

  1. Remind them of your support should they need to call 000
  2. Check that they have the address of wherever they are going stored in their phone or written on a piece of paper
  3. Find out who their 'buddy' is for the night and make sure you have their number
  4. Discuss your 'out word' and remind them that you're always willing to be the 'bad guy' if they need you to be
  5. 'If it doesn't feel right, it usually isn't'

All of these ideas and many more are discussed and explained in further detail in his very interesting and informative blog 'DOING DRUGS WITH PAUL DILLON'

http://doingdrugs-darta.blogspot.com/

There are also many fantastic articles and short videos of advice for parents on our schooltv website. Why not try the questionnaire to test your knowledge of current drug and alcohol information?

https://nazareth.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/drug-alcohol-use

 

Ms Jackie Kol and Ms Mirella Venturini

Codirectors of Wellbeing