A secret Facebook group has been uncovered by police that connects kids as young as 12 years-old to places where they can buy drugs. (see the link to the story at the end of this blog) 

Shocking?

Yes.

Surprising?

No.

Kids find a way, don’t they?

So what can we do?

There are apps we can buy.

There are rules we can make.

There are punishments we can deliver. 

Yet the best prevention of all is our relationship with our young people. 

Time together, conversation, and honest sharing of our lives is the most effective way to influence our kids–even when we are not around. 

Life gets busy. Distractions are great. 

Because of this we need to be intentional.

Talk with your kids. Ask non-intrusive questions to open the conversation door. Questions like, “Do you know kids at your school who are involved in drugs?” “If you wanted to get drugs, would you know how to go about it? ” “Why do you think kids use and abuse substances?” 

These questions give us a window into the lives of our young people. 

Avoid questions like, “Do any of your friends do drugs?” This hits too close to home and may provoke an impenetrable  shield of loyalty and friend protectiveness in your child. ( Qualifier: This is a question that could be asked after lots of trust has been established. Just don’t start here and tread very carefully if you choose to go this route.) 

Instead, ask nonthreatening  general questions gets the dialogue started. Many kids want their parents to be impressed with the fact that they do  know how to get drugs. It makes the child feels as if he knows more than mom and dad. He wants to impress his out of touch parents with his underground knowledge. 

Keep talking with (not at) your kids. Keep hanging out with them. Keep attending their events. 

And if they do dabble in the unexpected, be there for them by providing that unconditional love we all desire. And… allow those natural consequences to do their job.

Click here for the Denver 7 News report. 

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 

by,

Lori Wildenberg, coauthor of Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love and co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting. Lori is a licensed parent and family educator and co-author of three parenting books. She will have a a 4th and first solo authored book released the summer of 2017. If you would like to get more information or schedule Lori for your next event, click here.