As much as parents might not like to think over it, the reality is that many children try alcohol during their high school days, long before it's legal for them to drink it. Study has shown that near about 80 percent of high school children have tried alcohol.
Although experiment with alcohol may be common amongst kids, it is not legal or safe. So it is vital to start talking about alcohol use with your children at a very early age and keep discussing about it as they grow up.
The Effects of Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol interferes with an individual’s perception of truth and ability to make good decisions. This can be particularly dangerous for children who have less decision-making and problem-solving experience.
Short-term effects of drinking may include:
- hearing, distorted vision and coordination
- altered emotions and perceptions
- impaired decision, which might lead to drowning, accidents and other hazardous behaviors like drug use and unsafe sex
- bad breath
- hangovers
Long-term effects may include:
- cancer of the liver
- severe vitamin deficiencies
- stomach ailments
- memory loss
- an enhanced risk of impotence
- high risk for overdosing
- loss of appetite
Talking to Kids About Alcohol
Long before your children are presented with a chance to drink alcohol, you may increase the chances that they will just say "no."
Childhood is a time of discovery and learning, so it's crucial to inspire kids to ask questions, even ones that may be difficult to answer. Open, genuine, age-appropriate communication now sets the stage for your children to come to you later with other hard topics or issues.
Preschoolers
Although 3 to 4 year old are not ready to learn the facts about other drugs or alcohol, they start to develop the problem-solving and decision-making skills they will need later on. You can help them develop those skills in some simple ways.
Ages 4 to 7
Kids this age still think and learn mostly by experience and don't have a good understanding of things that will happen in the future. So keep talking about alcohol in the current scenario and connect them to things that children know and understand. For example, watching TV with your child can provide a chance to talk about advertising messages. Ask about the ads you see and encourage kids to ask questions too.
Ages 8 to 11
The later elementary school years is a crucial time in which you may influence your kids judgments about alcohol use. Kids at this age tend to love to learn facts, especially strange ones, and are eager to learn how things work and what sources of information are available to them.
Ages 12 to 17
By the teen years, your kids should know the facts about alcohol and your attitudes and beliefs about substance abuse. So use this time to reinforce what you've already taught them and focus on keeping the lines of communication open.
