Conversation Guides
Maintaining the lines of communication is key to helping your students stay healthy and happy. As a parent it is important to be able to talk openly with your students about alcohol and drug use.
Starting the Conversation
The average number of times parents and their students exchange texts per day is 7-8 times with some being as high as 20 per day. Parents continue to be very engaged in their kids’ lives by influencing or maybe even picking the courses that they take, where they live, and with whom they hang out. Parents are advisers and advocates for their students.
Questions Count
Today’s parents continue to have influence over their students. Parents should give careful thought and plan conversations with their students about alcohol and drug misuse. Parents should explore the culture of alcohol misuse on the campus and in the community where their student lives and discuss this culture with their students. Parents should also explore and become familiar with the resources on the campus and be prepared to share these resources with their students.
Conversations starters include:
- “What is it like around your residence hall on Friday nights?”
- “Does your campus offer cool things to do on the weekends?”
- “What does your roommate do on the weekends?”
- “Do you know the difference between a low risk and a high risk drinker?”
