Kathy Radigan, a writer for the Huffington Post wrote, “An Open Letter to My Teenage Son About Drinking.” In the article, she talks about how fast time has gone and how so many things have changed; like how the little boy she was arranging play dates for, not so long ago, has now become a full-fledged teenager, heading out to eat and to the movies with his buddies - many times without an adult. She says what used to be sitting at a kitchen table chatting with another parent while the kids played, has now become a drive-by wave at best.

Kathy also says that her son’s “teen status” prompted many new questions about alcohol and other drugs from her friends and family. She was asked things like, “What will you do the first time your son comes home drunk?” and, “How will you handle it if you find out he is using drugs?” Kathy took such questions to mean that people just assumed her son (along with other teens) would automatically drink underage and possibly use other drugs. When she questioned the assumption, the most common response was, “Of course he will.”

Baffled by this mindset, Kathy decided to do what she does best, write about it. She says her son, like most of his peers, has been learning about the dangers of alcohol and other drugs in school since the time he was in kindergarten. She knows he is aware that substances affect judgment and increase a person’s likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, like having sex or driving under the influence. In fact, just before entering his freshman year, her son willingly participated in a class assignment in which he promised not to smoke or drink in high school. With all this in mind, Kathy says it is maddening for people to believe that substance use among teens is a given.

Kathy makes it clear that she is not living in “La La Land,” like some people believe. She is simply saying that the thought of “kids will be kids” and “we did it at that age,” is not criteria we should base our parenting on, and that such attitudes and beliefs are likely to only confuse young people in their decision-making.

To ensure her son would not be confused and to make her expectations clear, Kathy wrote the following letter to her son (which all parents and children are encouraged to read and discuss):

For the full article published in the Huffington Post, written by Kathy Radigan, click here.

Source: Radigan, Kathy, Huffington Post: An Open Letter to My Teenage Son About Drinking, July 22, 2014.