How much should you worry?

Many teenagers probably wish their parents didn’t worry so much. But the vast majority of them, in their heart of hearts, probably want someone to show that they care. Worrying yourself to death, on the other hand, doesn’t help anyone. Try to turn your worries into something constructive instead.

AGREE ON HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH

Talk to one another about the best way to reduce the worry you feel as a parent. Maybe your teenager could call or message you during the evening.

One tip is to agree agree on a time when they’ll be in touch, so you avoid calling a mobile phone that no one answers and getting even more worried. 

TELL THEM HOW YOU FEEL

Teenagers are perfectly capable, just like everyone else, of empathising with another person’s feelings. Tell them what it feels like to be a parent, how it feels when you don’t really know what’s happening. That way, you’re showing them that you trust them to be responsible.

The chances of a teenager taking slightly better care of themselves increase when they know they have a parent who cares.

YOU CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING

If a teenager has made up their mind to drink, then they will probably do precisely that. Unfortunately, it’s often easy for teenagers to get hold of alcohol, and not something you can guarantee to prevent.

So shouldering all of the blame and feeling like a bad parent is unfair to yourself. There’s a lot you can do as a parent, but you can’t control everything that goes on around your child. 

More to read about the same topic

Useful contacts and more info

It can sometimes be good to talk to someone who knows a bit more about teenagers and alcohol, or about anything else, for that matter.

If you want to do more

There’s a lot you can do to support and be there for teenagers. Maybe you can take part in night-time patrols, or make it easier for them to say “no”, or help promote a smarter approach to alcohol in some other way.

Other important topics to read about

When parents are not around

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