PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 2009
Photos by Greg Farrar
At left, parent Lisa Hanses laughs at a tube of toothpaste in front of her with some paste squeezed out (above). Guiding Good Choices instructor Phoebe Terhaar’s request is to put it all back in the tube. The paste equals angry words, and teaches that once the angry words are spoken they can’t be taken back.
Back to the classroom Course educates parents, teens about alcohol and drugs By Warren Kagarise
F By Greg Farrar
A Guiding Good Choices workbook ‘anger thermometer’ invites parents to write their symptoms for anger for different levels of aggravation.
or parents of adolescents, tackling the tough questions about how to dissuade teens from alcohol and drug use can be difficult, even tense. Many parents turn a blind eye toward the problem, and hope good parenting and a stable home can get children through teen years unscathed. Guiding Good Choices, a program to help parents of teens and pre-teens alert children to the dangers of alcohol and drugs, encourages parents to engage their children in a discussion and confront uncomfortable questions head on.
The course for parents stretches across five weeks, and during the classes, parents learn how to formulate — and then enforce — family rules about alcohol and drug use. Teaching children how to refuse alcohol and drugs is a key part of the course. Guiding Good Choices delves deeper. Parents learn problem-solving skills and ways to manage family conflicts. The course also teaches parents how to prepare children for adulthood by encouraging them to help around the house.
Proven formula Friends of Youth, a nonprofit organization that works to