Rethinking Summer Drinking
Spring is here! With the warmer weather and patios opening, plus baseball and BBQ season arriving, I couldn’t help but notice more ads popping up for cocktails and light beer. My family has become avid Phillies fans and you can’t help but notice alcohol ads and the numerous beer vendors at the games. These are all typical seasonal changes that roll in each year, and perhaps serendipitously as April also happens to be Alcohol Awareness Month.
The goal of this annual campaign is to raise awareness and understanding of alcohol use and misuse and empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being. As a parent, it is a good time to consider how you role model responsible alcohol use to your kids. It can also be an opportunity to reflect on your own relationship with alcohol. Rethinking Drinking has great tools to help evaluate drinking habits.
Here are some top tips to role model responsible alcohol use to your kids as we move into the summer season from Be A Parent:
Limit your alcohol use in front of your child. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is one drink a day for women and up to two drinks a day for men.
Don’t talk about drinking as a way to manage stress—for example, don’t say, “Today was terrible. I need a drink!” Instead, model healthier ways to manage stress, like exercising or talking things over with your partner.
Don’t romanticize drinking stories from your youth. If you choose to share that you drank as a teen, be sure to add that it was a mistake and give examples of negative experiences that resulted from it.
Never drive when you’re above the legal blood-alcohol limit or get into a vehicle with a driver who is impaired. Designate a sober driver if you plan to drink more than the legal limit for driving.
If hosting a party, provide alcohol-free alternatives and arrange for rides for guests who have been drinking.
Explain to your child why alcohol is for adults only. Let them know their brain will continue to develop well into their twenties, so a legal age of 21 helps protect their health.
Our podcast episode “Do all kids drink by the end of high school?” has lots of great info too!
What are ways that you show your kids responsible alcohol use?
Email me at cdziembowski@dtownctc.org to share.
Happy Spring!