Parenting Tips

Become Informed and Educated
Be informed and educated about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and their effects. Be a credible source of information for your child. Be knowledgeable and alert for signs of drug abuse.

Start Talking to Kids Early about Alcohol
Attitudes about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are formed early so begin talking to your children early as well. Use valuable opportunities, such as when watching television, to discuss alcohol ads and what they imply.

Set Rules and Consequences
Kids are less likely to experiment with alcohol and other drugs if their parents disapprove of such use and tell them so - openly and firmly. This means telling kids in a direct, clear manner exactly what you expect from them and imposing consequences if they don't honor those expectations. Allow children to develop a responsible role in the family. Make them accountable for their behavior.

Practice Saying NO with Your Kids
Let kids know that saying NO is difficult for everyone, including adults. Let them know it isn't a trust issue; it's a matter of being prepared. Set positive examples for your child. Be a good role model.

Network with Other Parents
Establish communication with other parents, particularly the parents of your child's peer group. Work together for a community that provides reinforcement and support for one another. Develop meaningful alternatives to drug use. Utilize community and parent resources.

Remember, You CAN Make a Difference!
Have confidence in your ability to make a difference. By working together with other parents, your efforts have more impact. In time of powerful adolescents peer pressure, parents need peer pressure too.

From the Drug Prevention Resource Center

Plagiarism

Plagiarism and cheating is a growing problem for all of us. Below is a link to an article for parents on cheating. The article is realistic but reassuring to parents that even good students cheat, sometimes just to cut corners. It provides them with advice on how to talk to their students about cheating, but more importantly, it gets the issue of cheating out in the open so they are aware that it is a huge issue today in our schools.

This is the closing for the article:

The most critical thing you can do to avoid raising a cheater is to instill in your child a sense of pride and integrity in his work. "Cheating is a form of lying," say Lickona. "you are deceiving another person, and this damages your character." parents, he says need to help their kids keep things in proper perspective: "If you have a 4.0 from Harvard but no moral compass, you don't have what it takes for a successful life."

Donna Weisman
Account Manage
Florida Virtual School - FLVS
Phone #: 850-907-5744