Page 198 - The Intentional Parent

make you dizzy and sick. Also, begin preparing children for specific situations that will come up. Practice and rehearse situations by asking things like, "When you are in school people will ask you if you want to drink beer or alcohol with them. What will you tell them?" As your kids get older, you will realize that "just saying no" is not enough. Other kids in the peer group can put a lot of pressure on them. That's when kids need to be able to give solid reasons for not wanting to drink. These reasons can include: "I don't like the way it makes me feel," "I don't want to ruin my body for sports," or "I think when people are drunk they act stupid.”
The more time you spend discussing this while your
kids are growing up, the more your children will rely on these talks and strategies, and the less likely they will be to fall prey to peer pressure. The key is to make drug and alcohol abuse awareness an important part of family discussions throughout your child's growing years.
ADVERTISING INFLUENCE ON KIDS
Recently, my nine-year-old son has begun to collect advertisements from a popular vodka company. I worry that these advertisements are making him more sensitive to the product and more likely to drink. What can I do about it?
I have been concerned about the marketing strategy for this company for a very long time. I know at least a dozen ten-to twelve-year-old kids who collect the advertisements, posters, and T-shirts from this company. It's hard for me to believe that the people behind this campaign do not know that it is appealing to children. I know one eleven-year-old girl who has an entire scrapbook collection of vodka ads, labels, and other
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