Building the Foundations of Meaningful Conversations this Winter
As winter begins, we’re reminded of the simple joys of childhood. And one of our favorites is building a snowman. What starts as a single snowball can grow into something much bigger—a perfect metaphor for how we can build the foundations of meaningful conversations.
Like the parts of a snowman, conversations about underage drinking prevention build on each other, so it’s always important to start with a sturdy foundation to support what comes next. That sturdy foundation involves knowing the facts and dangers of underage drinking and communicating them clearly and confidently to your kids so you can build on it for future conversations.
Kids need to know what the developing brain does, what alcohol does to it, and what that does to them. When they learn the science behind how their brain works, they’ll understand how underage consumption of alcohol can negatively affect the development of their growing brains and bodies. Confidently sharing the consequences of underage drinking establishes a foundation by teaching your values, beliefs, and the why behind the “’NO,’ it’s not ok to drink until you’re 21, and even then, you should make that decision carefully.”
Once you have a strong foundation to build on, the middle section of the snowman is all about the heart, and conversations should always come from the heart. It’s our job to keep kids safe, and when we connect the risks of underage drinking to their safety, it lets them know how much we care. Let them know that when the parts of their brains that control things like speech, gross motor skills, and decision making are under the influence of alcohol, they might find themselves in unsafe situations. Reminding them of the effects of alcohol on their still developing brain and body shows you care about keeping them safe and healthy.
This middle section also is about encouraging kids to trust their gut. Once you’ve built that foundation of values and beliefs, kids know what is right and what is wrong. If they have a bad feeling about something, they should think twice.
Last, but certainly not least, comes the snowman’s head. Decorations adorning a snowman’s face may give it good looks and character, but they also represent the ability to ask questions, actively listen, and learn from these conversations about underage drinking prevention.
Use your head to:
- Seize teachable moments where your child asks a question about something they’ve seen or heard to start a conversation.
- Ask thoughtful questions and actively listen to the answers to learn from each other.
- Adapt the conversation to different situations as your child gets older.
Be mindful to model responsibility. Your kids pick up on what you say and what you do; always make sure that you are modeling responsibility when it comes to all decisions—including those that pertain to alcohol.
When talking with kids about the negative effects alcohol can have on their developing brains, start small and let your conversations snowball into frequent, meaningful conversations. After all, as parents, you are the #1 influence on your kids’ decisions to drink – or not drink – alcohol, and having conversations about the dangers of underage drinking with them will help underage drinking trends continue to decline.
From all of us at Ask, Listen, Learn, we send our best wishes to you and your family for a happy and safe winter season!
-The Ask, Listen, Learn Team