Why does my child think about the future? Why do they make such bad decisions? Can’t they see what they are doing is bad for them?

One of the most popular questions YoDAA workers hear from parents is how do I start talking about drugs with my child. We sometimes have to take a step back before we even tackle advising parents of the “how to” conversation.

Understanding young people is one of the most important steps in helping to support change. Once we have helped parents to understand where their young person is at developmentally, emotionally and what they are capable of we can start the “how to” conversation.

Understanding that young people do not want to be confronted or ambushed when approached is important, as well as knowing the right time and place for the conversation. Reachout has a video of things to try to effectively communicate with a young person.

YoDAA has some excellent resource to help support parents through these tricky conversations.