{"id":801653,"date":"2019-11-22T10:43:48","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T17:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=374848"},"modified":"2019-11-22T10:43:48","modified_gmt":"2019-11-22T17:43:48","slug":"are-your-children-prepared-for-difficult-social-situations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/are-your-children-prepared-for-difficult-social-situations\/","title":{"rendered":"Are your children prepared for difficult social situations?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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YESS members, pictured here, spoke about the dangers of youth tobacco use at a recent Summit Board of County Commissioners meeting.<\/strong>
Courtesy Photo<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How can local parents ensure their children\u2019s perceptions of normal, healthy behaviors aren\u2019t being skewed by visitors who are partying on vacation?<\/p>\n

The resort town atmosphere is just one of many reasons parents need to be thoughtful and deliberate when talking to their children about tough subjects like alcohol and drug use. By planning ahead for difficult conversations and scenarios, parents build trusting relationships with their children while also preparing them to make informed decisions for themselves.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure about how, when or where to talk to your children about drug and alcohol use, here\u2019s a helpful list to get started. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too early to talk to your children<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first step is to simply bring up the topic, said 17-year-old Summit High School senior Anna Tomlinson, a member of the Youth Empowerment Society of Summit (YESS), a group of high school students that advocates for positive, healthy social behaviors. <\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these topics are stigmatized and may be awkward to talk about at first, but they are important and necessary to talk about,\u201d she said. \u201cSpeaking about these topics will help the youth enter the \u2018real world\u2019 better prepared and more confident.\u201d <\/p>\n

Elizabeth Edgar, Summit School District\u2019s mental and physical health coordinator, said it\u2019s also important to talk to children about substances before there\u2019s an issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot more difficult to have the conversation for the first time when you\u2019re in that parent mode of having just caught your child doing something,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Preteen years are when children begin to figure out their place in the world, according to Speak Now Colorado, the state Office of Behavioral Health\u2019s website designed to help parents have important conversations with their children. Tips for parents of preteens (9 to 13 years old) include the following: <\/p>\n