Parenting Tips

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

1. Research the causes or issues important to you.
2. Consider the skills you have to offer.
3. Would you like to learn something new?
4. Look for volunteer work that will also help you achieve your other goals.
5. Don't over commit your schedule.
6. Be prepared for nonprofits to ask questions about you to ensure a proper fit for their organization.
7. Consider volunteering as a family.
8. Virtual volunteering with your computer may be an option if you have limited time and transportation.
9. Many community groups need volunteers, see the web site for a list of ideas.
10. 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?