Parents Are The Ultimate Role Models For Their Children

Working Together

Making the

Greater Five Towns

A Drug-Free Community

Positive role models show young people how to live with integrity, optimism, hope, determination, and compassion.

They play an essential part in a child’s positive development.

Role models come into young people’s lives in a variety of ways.

They are educators, civic leaders, mothers, fathers, clergy, peers, and ordinary people encountered in everyday life.

                                    
                                    ﻿Parents as Role Models 
                                   
                                    for Teenagers

‌

When your child was younger, your role was to lay the foundations for his behavior. For example, you probably showed your child how to cooperate and take turns with others.

Now your child is in his teens, he can start taking responsibility for his own behavior. But you’re still an important role model.

What you do shows your child how you want her to behave. For example, how you cope with feelings like frustration and distress influences how your child regulates her emotions.

What you eat, how much you exercise, and how you look after yourself all influence your child.

What you say is also important. You can help your child to manage and control his behavior by talking about how behavior affects other people.

You can also talk more with your child about the differences between right and wrong. Now’s a good time for this because your child is developing his ability to understand other people’s experiences and feelings.

                                    
                                    ﻿Practical tips for 
                                   
                                    role-modelling

Include your child in family discussions, and give him or her input into family decisions, rules and expectations. These are good ways of helping her understand how people can get along with others and work together.

Try to do the things you say your child should do.

Teenagers can and do notice when you don’t!

Keep a positive attitude – think, act and talk in an optimistic way.

Take responsibility for yourself by admitting your own mistakes and talking about what you might do differently to avoid the same mistakes in the future.

Try not to blame everything that goes wrong on other people or circumstances.

Use problem-solving skills to deal with challenges or conflicts in a calm and productive way. Getting upset and angry when a problem comes up encourages your child to respond in the same way.

Show kindness and respect to others.

You might think that your child’s peers and friends have a stronger influence in the teenage years than you do.

Friends and peers do influence your child, but so do you – it’s just that peer influence is different from your influence.

Your child’s friends are more likely to influence everyday behavior, like the music your child listens to or the clothes he wears.

As a parent, you influence your child’s basic values, like religious values, and issues related to her future, like educational choices.

The stronger your relationship with your child, the more influence you’ll have.

Your child values your good opinion, advice and support .

In fact, it’s likely that when your child becomes a young adult, he’ll end up with values, beliefs and behavior that are similar to yours.

You might worry about how your child will manage peer pressure to experiment with alcohol and other drugs . But it’s not just friends who influence teenagers in this area – you also have an influence.

Try to discourage your child from trying alcohol by talking with your child about alcohol and other drugs, the effects they have and the risks involved.

But the way you use alcohol and other drugs also influences your child’s attitudes and behavior, so you can be a role model for safe habits.

For example, think about the different messages you might send by drinking occasionally and in moderation, compared with drinking daily and heavily.

You can role model a healthy lifestyle by eating well and exercising regularly.

You could involve your child – for example by swimming together, or going for a family walk.

                                    If you know or suspect your child or teen may be misusing substances, or may be having mental health issues,
                                   
                                    please reach out to:
                                   
                                    Saving Lives Five Towns Drug & Alcohol Coalition  
                                   
                                    We are here to ensure you have the 
                                   
                                    information and support you need.
                                   
                                    ﻿To Join Our Community Coalition 
                                   
                                    ﻿please contact:
                                   
                                    Susan Blauner, Director Substance Abuse Prevention, 
                                   
                                    Awareness and Education
                                   
                                    516.569.6733
                                   
                                    "bringing about community awareness to address youth mental health and addiction issues and to reduce youth drug and alcohol misuse through education, media advocacy, increased enforcement and changes in policies."
                                   
                                    ﻿