What Should Pot Smoking Parents Tell Their Kids?
Recently, one of my children approached me about a friend of theirs being an active, occasional pot smoker and to throw me into shock even further, the kid is smoking pot WITH their parents and was asked what they should do, if anything.
As much as I hate to admit it, I asked my child to turn a blind eye to the issue at hand until I could figure out what to do, if anything other then keeping that child from visiting their friends house and explaining later when the parents ask.
Grabbing a seat, a deep breath and sending up a quick silent prayer pleading for spiritual guidance, I proceeded to round all four of our children up for this discussion.
I felt most comfortable approaching this topic from a Christian and Legal standpoint.
I explained to the kids that this type of habit or activity is illegal.
I also explained that in my heart I felt that it was very wrong because taking part in such activity alters and impairs your physical and mental ability.
My children asked me if I had ever done anything like that. And to answer the question truthfully, I told them I had - many years ago, before marriage, before kids and as the direct result of peer pressure - for which I’m not proud of at all.
When asked what the experience was like, I described in detail what it was like for me, how I felt and how much it scared me.
All four seemed rather content with the answers I had provided them and to take it further, I shared with them actual stories of people who were ultimately innocent, but wound up in a great deal of trouble simply because they were ‘guilty by association’ when being in the wrong place at the wrong time and with someone who was a product carrying member.
I can only hope and pray that my own children will learn through my mistakes and experiences and use my words as their own when they are cornered by peer pressure.
An article in the SF Gate discusses Parenting Through The Haze. An in depth look at Lawyers. Land developers, Teachers and Homeroom mothers that smoke occasionally and the position they find themselves in when addressing this topic with their kids.
Do they take the hypocritical route and lie or should they be completely honest?
How should parents talk to their children about drug use? Or do you leave that up to the school?
Tags: teens, parenting, super nanny, teen discussion, pot
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POSTED IN: Parenting
2 opinions for What Should Pot Smoking Parents Tell Their Kids?
Tracee Sioux
May 3, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I am a mentor to several teenaged girls whose parents supply their drugs. Imagine trying to not do drugs when it’s not your peers who are offering, but your parents. http://www.blogfabulous.com/influence-the-collective-conscience-of-girlness/
GG
Jan 7, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Be honest! How many times have you wished that your parents had told you about the good and bad thing that they experienced during their lives? If our children are to respect us, we need to be honest about our past, not use it to preach to them about things we no longer do or continue to do. Though “That 70’s Show” makes light of the use of marijuana, the facts remain the same. Abuse of any drug, prescription or not, legal or not, can be dangerous to your overall health. If it’s an illegal substance, you run the risk of being arrested and charged, even if you were just hanging out with others who actually own and use the substance. Why push the envelope?
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