Underage drinking

Living in a rural community has many benefits. Less crime, less noise, and better real estate prices. However, something that runs rampant in our rural state is underage drinking. There are lots of reasons, but most teenagers drink because of peer pressure and to relieve stress. You may ask yourself, "stress?". Yes, our teenagers today aren't like we were 30 years ago. We used to choose one extra curriculum activity - say, basketball, or chorus. But today, our teens are invested in ALL the sports, and ALL the clubs and activities. Have to make good grades, have to be the best at making jump shots, have to be the most popular. It's a war zone out there. This is just the tip of the ice burg. Dating. Oh, that's a whole new can of worms. And in order to be able to afford the sports equipment or a car to get to all the activities,you need a fit in a job somewhere in the chaos. You begin to see that some of our teens have twice the stress of a grownup. Then add what's happening at home. At some point something has to give. "Have a beer!" Research tells us that teens really do listen to parents. One of the main reasons teens say they don't drink is because of what parents have told them. What is happening at home? Do you sit down and talk to your teen about your attitudes about drinking? Are you a good role model? Keep track of how many things your teen is involved in - what is most important? Building assets in your teen is a huge tool to ensure your teen feels self-confident. By building assets, I mean finding the spark or passion that's in your teen. Spend time with him or her. Really listen when they talk - make sure they don't have too heavy of a load. And like most parents, as they grow into adults, you are very grateful they made it that far.