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(Washington, D.C.)-Its almost time for school summer vacation-do you know what your kids will be doing? If your answer is no, there is still time to plan. According to Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Barry R. McCaffrey, ensuring that your kids are involved in structured activities should be a top priority. Research shows that children and adolescents who are involved in constructive, adult-supervised activities outside of school are less likely to use drugs.
"Of all the reasons young people try drugs, boredom is the easiest to fix," said Director McCaffrey. "Parents must understand that there is a direct connection between unsupervised time and drug use, as well as other high-risk and antisocial behavior."
A strong relationship exists between lack of adult-supervised "free" time and susceptibility to substance abuse - marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. A Fall 1991 issue of Adolescence revealed that seventh and eighth-graders who reported abusing drugs also indicated little involvement in extracurricular activities, and spent more time with friends than with their families. And a 1992 study from Psychological Reports, suggested that involving adolescents in positive school, church, family and community activities should be part of drug-prevention programs. Key to all these activities was adult direction and supervision.
"Recent research has shown that the more time adolescents spend with peers in unsupervised situations, the more likely they are to use drugs and experiment with other kinds of problem behaviors," said Tony Biglan, Ph.D., a nationally recognized parenting expert at The Oregon Research Institute. "The more that parents and communities can do to ensure that children and adolescents are involved in worthwhile activities, the better we can prevent most kinds of youth problem behavior."
Many parents mistakenly interpret their child and teens demands for independence as a signal to become less involved in planning their activities. In reality, young people always need parental guidance in planning their time-not just during the summer months but year-round. According to Dr. Biglan, activities need not be elaborate or expensive, but should be interesting, provide structure and have adult supervision. |
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Here are some positive activities for kids that parents should consider this summer:
Encourage them to work-from mowing lawns to scooping ice cream, employment is a great way for kids to keep busy, earn extra money and build self-esteem. With a little encouragement, kids can even start their own neighborhood businesses.
Involve them in programs offered by traditional youth, civic and religious organizations, such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs or local faith communities. Activities routinely offered include sports programs, camps and art classes.
Enhance their education by registering them in summer classes, ranging from computer skills to languages to local library programs.
Encourage volunteerism-from reading to the blind to shopping for the elderly, volunteering is rewarding and an activity that parents and kids can do together. |
