quote:
Originally posted by nillawafer:
if you think they have been drinking the night before ..WAKE THEM UP TO A BREAKFAST OF HALF COOKED BACON AND SAUSAGE AND RUNNY SCRAMBLED EGGS AND MAKE THEM EAT IT!![/QB]
I had to laugh when I read this -- you must have been talking to my son ;- )

I have to agree wholeheartedly with what you said in your post. There are kids that do things for peer pressure and some that do it to cope and some that do it because the adults in their world do it and some kids that just do it to see what it's all about. Keeping your mind open to them and your home open to them and letting them know that you're there no matter how many mistakes they make will help them make the right decision for THEM.

The surest thing you can do to drive your child - mate - sister, brother, friend, enemy - ANYBODY - away from you and straight to what you don't want - is to forbid them. That's just human nature ;-)But, allowing your child to make mistakes, do stupid things, experiment with life -- that's the only way they will learn about life -- and in a responsible way. Remember - your kids are just inexperienced young people. They have to know for themselves before they can make experienced decisions, and if they know you're in their corner they will have so much more ammunition to be able to stand up against the peer pressure, the crisis's in life, and if experimenting is with your "suggestions" and knowledge - it won't be that big a deal -- it won't be something they will make a habit of.