Whether it’s because they arrived home disorientated and confused or you found suspicious looking items in their room, it’s important you thread carefully when it comes to talking to your teen about drugs.
1. Wait until they are lucid to discuss it
If your teen arrives home unsteady, rather than try to have an important conversation with them now, it is important you wait until they have slept it off. Things can escalate fairly quickly when they are high and they may become aggressive or wake up the next day not remembering what you even said.
2. Remain calm at all times
There is no point flying off the handle as soon as you start suspecting things – not only will they not listen, but you may sever the lines of communication forever. Remain calm at all time and be open to what they have to say – there may very well be an underlying issue that needs to be tackled sensitively.
3. Keep a close eye on them
If they arrive home after taking something do keep a close eye on them until they are back to their normal self – taking drugs is a risk and something can happen fairly quickly. If you haven’t seen them on something but have your suspicions despite their denials you should keep a close eye on them to ensure they don’t get themselves into any danger.
4. Thank them for being honest
If they do admit to taking something, you should always thank them for being honest, if they trust you not to fly off the handle they are more likely to open even more. However, now is not the time to push things under the carpet, tell them that you love them before explaining how you are going to handle the situation.
5. Be persistent without nagging
Even if you catch them red-handed they are likely to deny doing anything so you need to be persistent. However, never nag them or constantly berate them with questions - this will drastically affect how they communicate with you.
