Steering children away from the harmful use of drugs
Drug Proof Your Kids was created in response to the needs of parents as you cope with the very real and complex issues of alcohol and other drugs.
As parents most of us would love to somehow ‘drug proof’ our children not to closet them away, but to empower them to make wise, healthy choices as they encounter the many temptations laid before them. It’s a complex issue, and there can be no one simple solution, but there is good news!
Research clearly shows that the most influential way to steer children and young people away from harmful alcohol and drug use is by giving them a healthy family environment. Where parents and their children have deep and loving relationships, with lots of meaningful communication, it can reduce the risks for their children.
Can I really ‘drug proof’ my kids?
If you mean, “Can I stop my child from trying tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs?” the answer is no.
But if you mean, “Is there any way I can influence the choices my child makes about these things?” the answer is yes.
"It was much better than I could have imagined, informative but fun at the same time."
How does it work?
DPYK concentrates on the important role a parent or significant caregiver can play in reducing the risk of harmful drug use. It gives you the skills and knowledge to help your children to make good choices. During the six sessions, sharing ideas with other parents and carers is a key element. Discussions are based around real-life scenarios. Each session includes space to plan any changes you want to make and from week two, an opportunity to discuss how that’s working.
What’s in the course?
We start by giving a realistic overview of drug use in society and the harm it can do to people and families. We take a look at what makes drug use more likely (risk factors) and what can help our children and teenagers make good choices (protective factors).
The sessions will help you strengthen your influence in areas such as emotional well-being and helpful ways of communicating. It will show you useful ways on how to respond to difficult issues such as alcohol use.
As parents, who we are and how we act towards our children is important and we show how our own beliefs, attitudes and behaviours about alcohol and other drugs can influence our children.
By the end of the course we hope you will feel that you’re not on your own trying to help prevent drug misuse and we explore how this support can be ongoing.
Session titles:
- Session 1 – Expectations and realities of parenting
- Session 2 – Children’s needs
- Session 3 – Play and listening
- Session 4 – Parenting styles
- Session 5 – Discipline and safety
- Session 6 – The wider family
If you have a passion to support families, why not train with us to become a licenced facilitator to deliver our popular range of courses to parents in your community? Find out more by visiting our training pages here.
If you are wanting to attend a Time Out for Parents course, please click on the button below to find courses being run near you.
