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No time like today to have that talk about alcohol
By NATALIE KOLLROSS, Psy.D.
Drinking alcohol is a serious con-
ĐĞƌŶĂŵŽŶŐƚŽĚĂLJ͛ƐLJŽƵƚŚ͘^ƚĂƟƐƟĐƐ
show that many youth ages 12 to
20 are abusing alcohol. In 2007,
ƚŚĞ^ƵƌŐĞŽŶ'ĞŶĞƌĂůƌĞƉŽƌƚĞĚƚŚĂƚ
about 10 percent of 12-year-olds
ŚĂĚƚƌŝĞĚĂƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚĂŵŽƵŶƚŽĨ
ĂůĐŽŚŽů͘dŚĞEĂƟŽŶĂů/ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ
on Drug Abuse reports that over
a third of kids have tried alcohol
(more than just a sip) by eighth
grade and three-quarters of high
school students have tried alcohol
by their senior year.
As early as age nine, a child’s
ƉĞƌĐĞƉƟŽŶŽĨĂůĐŽŚŽůĐĂŶďĞŐŝŶƚŽ
change and become more toler-
ĂŶƚŽƌƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ͘dŚŝƐŝƐǁŚLJŝƚŝƐƐŽ
important to talk to your kids about
ĂůĐŽŚŽůĂŶĚŝƚƐĞīĞĐƚƐĂƐĞĂƌůLJ
ĂƐƉŽƐƐŝďůĞ͘dŚĞƐĞĐŽŶǀĞƌƐĂƟŽŶƐ
should begin before they are likely
to start drinking.
As parents, we may not always
see the signs or we may not believe
that our 15-year-old is binge drink-
ing, but it is very possible. The best
way to address the issue is to en-
ĐŽƵƌĂŐĞŽƉĞŶĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶǁŝƚŚ
your child. Don’t just throw facts
at them or use scare tac-
ƟĐƐ͘ƐŬƚŚĞŝƌŽƉŝŶŝŽŶĂŶĚ
beliefs. Ask about what
ƚŚĞŝƌĨƌŝĞŶĚƐƚŚŝŶŬ͘KīĞƌ
ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶƚŽŚĞůƉƚŚĞŵ
make an informed deci-
sion or encourage them
ƚŽůŽŽŬƵƉŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶŽŶ
their own. Threats don’t
work and will only serve
to shut down communi-
ĐĂƟŽŶ͘
If your child feels that
they will be severely punished for
drinking they may never tell you if
they do it. That’s not to say there
shouldn’t be consequences, but
they should know that if there is
ĞǀĞƌĂƉƌŽďůĞŵͶƐĂLJƚŚĞŝƌĨƌŝĞŶĚƐ
were drinking and planning to drive
ͶƚŚĞLJĐŽƵůĚ
call you.
Warning signs for alcohol use
ŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚƌĂƐƟĐĐŚĂŶŐĞƐŝŶŵŽŽĚ͕
increased irritability, masking their
breath with mouthwash or gum,
showing up late, and missing school
ŽƌĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘DŽƌĞŽǀĞƌ͕ŝĨĂůĐŽŚŽů
starts to go missing in the home
or your child is found with alcohol,
these are sure signs they are drink-
ing and probably more than you
realize.
KŶůŝŶĞ͕LJŽƵĐĂŶĮŶĚŚĞůƉĨƵůƌĞ-
ƐŽƵƌĐĞƐĂƚDŽƚŚĞƌƐŐĂŝŶƐƚƌƵŶŬ
Driving (www.madd.org) and Kids
Health (kidshealth.org; search for
͞<ŝĚƐĂŶĚĂůĐŽŚŽů͟Ϳ͘dŚĞďĞƐƚƟŵĞ
to start talking to your child is now!
________
Dr. Kollross is a psychologist at Psy-
chological Services of Pendleton
ĂŶĚŵŽƚŚĞƌŽĨƚǁŽ͘
P SYCHOLOGICAL S ERVICES OF P ENDLETON , LLC
G IVING P ARENTS
B UILDING B LOCKS
TO S UCCESS .
Pendleton
541-278-2222
Dr. Natalie
Kollross,
Dr. Connie
Umphred,
Dr. Stephanie
Evans,
Dr. Terry
Templeman
Insurance and private pay accepted
www.pendletonpsych.com