|
It’s
NEVER Too Early to Start!
April is Alcohol Awareness Month due mainly to
Spring Break, Proms and pre-graduation parties...but research has
shown that elementary and middle school children also are getting
access to alcohol.
Recent research shows that teens try their first alcoholic drink
at 12.8 years. Research also shows young people who drink, (65%
of them), get alcohol from an adult – an older sibling or
friend, or their parents or friend’s parents, with or without
the adult’s knowledge.
Youth access to alcohol is a serious problem with serious consequences.
A new study says that drug-prevention programs would be more effective
if they started in elementary school rather than middle school.
Researchers found that students who began using alcohol, cigarettes,
or marijuana in elementary school were up to five times more likely
to be using these substances when they were in middle school compared
with their peers.
Data suggests that the early use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana
by children of elementary-school age is associated with greatly
increased odds of later use. This suggests that early prevention
programs are very important.
It’s not too early to focus on prevention! Parents of elementary
school-aged children can be THE BEST front-line prevention specialists.
Here’s how YOU can help:
- Know your child’s friends’ parents.
- Support law enforcement efforts to reduce youth access to alcohol.
- Contact government officials to encourage enforcement of underage
drinking laws.
Pat Giuliani, Georgia PTA Youth Services Chair
Source: CUDTF resource letters for PTAs. www.cudtf.org
Make
Time to Listen...Take Time to Talk
The
15+ Make Time to Listen...Take Time to Talk campaign is based
on the premise that parents who talk with their children about what
is happening in their lives are better able to guide their children
toward more positive, skill-enhancing activities and friendships.
The campaign provides practical guidance for parents and caregivers
on how to strengthen their relationship with their children by spending
at least 15 minutes of daily, undivided time with them and focusing
on them.
Connect
With Kids
Georgia PTA has partnered
with Atlanta-based CWK Network/Connect with Kids to bring important
and innovative educational resources to families. CWK Network is
known as “the CNN of children’s issues,” producing
weekly television news stories and the Emmy® award-winning television
series, Connect with Kids -- shown eight times each year on 70 top
television stations as well as in thousands of schools nationwide.
Connect with Kids programs focus on today’s youth issues and
feature real students sharing their true stories about topics such
as bullying, drugs, drinking, safety, peer pressure, ethics, dating,
body image – more than 100 programs in all. Research shows
the programs improve student behavior in the classroom, and encourage
increased communication between children and their parents. Connect
with Kids also received the 2005 Parents’ Choice Award.
Sign
up for Connect With Kids newsletter and learn more about their programs.
Ten
Tips for Volunteering Wisely
- Research
the causes or issues important to you.
- Consider
the skills you have to offer.
- Would
you like to learn something new?
- Look
for volunteer work that will also help you achieve your other
goals.
- Don't
over commit your schedule.
- Be
prepared for nonprofits to ask questions about you to ensure a
proper fit for their organization.
- Consider
volunteering as a family.
- Virtual
volunteering with your computer may be an option if you have limited
time and transportation.
- Many
community groups need volunteers, see the web site for a list
of ideas.
- Bring
your heart and sense of humor to your volunteer service, along
with enthusiastic spirit, which in itself is a priceless gift.
What you'll get back will be immeasurable!
For
more information, visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov/for_volunteers/ten_tips/index.asp.
Articles
for Parents
- Disconnect
the TV and Reconnect with Each Other
- Holidays
Are a Good Time to Teach Your Kids the Value of Giving
- How
to Inspire Teens to Volunteer
- Articles
on Student Achievement
- 10 Partnering Tips for a Strong School Community
- 10 Ways for Parents to Help Teachers
- 100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed
- A Quick Look at…Character Counts
- Are Middle and High School Students Reading to Learn or
Learning to Read?
- Arts Education Programs and Advocacy in Action
- Choosing Age-Appropriate Instruments and a Good Instructor
- Great Expectations: What's the Best Way for Parents to Help
Children Be Their Best
- Helping Your Child Perform Well on Tests
- Helping Your Student Get the Most Out of Homework
- Helping Your Young Child Learn
- Life After High School: Helping Teens Who Are College Bound
- Making a Family Museum Visit Fun for Toddlers, Teens, and
In-Betweens
- Making Parent–Teacher Conferences Work for Your Child
More Art, Please!
- Six Things Parents Can Do to Improve Arts Education in Their
Child's School
- Summer Reading
- Ten "Must-Know" Facts About Educational Testing
- The Great Testing Debate: Making the Grade
- The Six Pillars of Character
- When Kids Want Too Much--Curing a Case of the "Gimmies"
- Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Test?
- Articles
on Media and Technology
- A Combined Strategy for Internet Safety
- Cell Phone Safety
- Drinking It All In: Alcohol Advertising and Youth
- Helping Children Cope with Those Startling Images from Iraq
- Hitting the Off Button: How parents are standing up for
less screen time at home
- Internet Safety
- Keeping it Real: Teaching Good TV Habits
- Keeping Our Kids Internet Safe and Smart
- Listening to Music
- Media Literacy Resources
- Navigating the Children's Media Landscape Cable in the Classroom
Guide
- The Newest Breed of Bully, the Cyberbully
- Video Game Safety
- Watching Movies with Your Children
- Watching Television with Your Children
- When Adolescents Look for Love in Cyberspace
- Articles
on Health and Wellness
- Competition and Kids: It's Not About Winning
- Getting Your Children to Eat Right
- Healthy Lifestyles—Childhood Obesity
- Healthy Lifestyles—Fact Sheet: The Need for Physical
Education and Physical Activity Activity in Our Schools
- Helping Your Overweight Teen
- Six Things to Know about HIV/AIDS
- The Decline of Physical Activity: Why Are So Many Kids Out
of Shape?
|