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In this section: Spring Is Here! Sometimes It Isn't Easy The Power of Grace-based Parenting Teaching Your Teen About Alcohol Youth CultureI am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 NIV |
For Parents Only Teaching Your Teen About Alcohol By: walt mueller Adolescent alcohol abuse has been a problem for all recent teenage generations. Teenagers' curious natures combine with a desire to have fun, a desire to escape from life's pressures, and easy availability in a mix that is always dangerous and sometimes deadly. Sadly, a new trend is fueling teenage alcohol abuse and its related problems. Many parents are actually encouraging their children to drink by providing alcohol to teenagers in their own homes. They assume that since their children are likely to experiment with alcohol anyway, it's best to give them both the alcohol and a place to drink "safely." Our God-given responsibility is not to teach our kids how to abuse alcohol. Instead, our role is to teach our kids a lifestyle of obedience that brings honor and glory to God. Most teenagers are left to get their information about alcohol from unreliable sources. Some learn from their friends. Others learn from the media. Still others say they just picked up what they know. Only about one in three middle school and high school aged students say that their parents talk to them "often" or "a lot" about tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. Alcohol education should start when we tell our preschool children not to accept candy, gifts, pills, or rides from strangers. As they grow older, we should take the time to educate our children on the different types of alcohol they will encounter and the dangers and effects of each. Don’t overstate the danger by saying that everyone who drinks beer will die or other generalized nonsense. Rather, tell them about the potential short- and long-term harmful effects of alcohol abuse in a truthful and realistic manner. Another way to teach your children is by seizing the teachable moment as they encounter alcohol use and abuse in the media. Teach them to discern the true and false messages on TV shows. Help them pick apart the ridiculous promises and nature of alcohol ads. Teach them that it is against the law for minors to buy or drink alcoholic beverages. Teach them that God has given them the responsibility to obey the laws of the government. Take the time to read and study Romans 13:1-3, 6-7 with your kids. And if they get caught, be sure that they are given the wonderful opportunity to learn by suffering the legal consequences of their actions. Don't work to get any of the legal ramifications "fixed." Study together what Scripture has to say about drunkenness in passages such as Proverbs 23:20-21; I Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; and I Thessalonians 5:5-8. And finally, walk your talk. A code of biblical moral conduct lived out in the house is the most powerful shaper of your child's own spiritual values and behaviors. |
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