DRUG FREE MCKINNEY
November 30, 2022
Drug Abuse Prevention Starts with Parents
Drugs, including tobacco and alcohol, are easily available to children and adolescents. As a parent, you have a major impact on your child’s decision not to use drugs. Most likely, children in grade school have not begun to use alcohol, tobacco, or any other kind of drug. That is why grade school is a good time to start talking about the dangers of drug use. Prepare your child for a time when drugs may be offered.
Drug abuse prevention starts with parents learning how to talk with their children about difficult topics. Then, the programs offered by school, sports, and other groups can support what you have started. Find out more from the American Academy of Pediatrics at healthychildren.org
Join us online this Friday to hear more about how to talk to your children about substance use- use links below to register!
Join us online for a VIRTUAL meeting on Friday with MADD!
Click link below to RSVP!
PARENT ENGAGEMENT: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health (CDC)
Research shows that school health activities are more successful when parents are involved. For example, when parents volunteer at their children’s school, their children are less likely to start smoking and more likely to get enough physical activity.
Drawing from research and best practices from schools across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a strategies document to give schools concrete ways for engaging parents in school health. The document gives tips for all three aspects of parent engagement: 1) connecting with parents, 2) engaging parents in school health activities, and 3) sustaining parent engagement in school health.
Connect: This section describes what schools can do to establish a good foundation for engaging parents in school health, such as
• Creating a vision for parent engagement,
• Preparing school staff to work with parents,
• Assessing and improving the school’s strategies for involving parents, and
• Assessing what parents and families need to be more involved in school health.
Engage: This section offers ideas for getting parents actively engaged in school health activities, such as
• Providing parents with information and skills they need to support healthy attitudes, behaviors, and environments,
• Encouraging parents to be part of decision making at school,
• Ensuring regular and effective two-way communication,
• Offering a wide variety of volunteer opportunities,
• Creating health education activities that parents and students can do together at home, and • Collaborating with community groups that can benefit students and families.
Sustain: This section identifies solutions for common challenges in keeping parents involved, such as
• Finding meaningful ways that busy parents can be involved,
• Training staff to work well with parents,
• Solving conflicts in scheduling and transportation,
• Overcoming language and cultural barriers, and
• Ensuring administrative and financial support.
Find out more from the CDC at Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health | Adolescent and School Health | CDC
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