| Since the beginning of time, good kids have been | | | | find it hypocritical that parents who are quick to |
| known to do dumb things. The same can be said | | | | assert that it's more important for their kids do |
| of naïve and well-meaning parents. Because | | | | the right thing than it is to do what's popular are |
| they don't know what to say, some parents fail | | | | reluctant to start a home drug testing program |
| to talk to their children about drugs. Others | | | | because the newfound accountability might not be |
| develop a false sense of security after they do. | | | | popular with their kids. |
| It's much more comfortable for parents to hold | | | | The second component is the introductory |
| the belief that things haven't changed much since | | | | conversation in which parents acknowledge that |
| they were young than it is to accept the fact | | | | their kids are growing up and are deserving of |
| that they have. It's also much easier for parents | | | | additional freedom. However, additional |
| to believe that their teenagers always tell them | | | | responsibility and accountability should come with |
| the truth and would never try drugs, but who | | | | expanded freedom. |
| ever said parenting was supposed to be easy? | | | | Dr. Michael Reznicek, a medical doctor with |
| Parents ask me when they should talk to their | | | | emergency room experience, actually developed a |
| kids, what they should say, and what they can do | | | | software program that facilitates the initial |
| to follow through. Ben Franklin said, "Wise is the | | | | parent-child conversation and eliminates potential |
| man who fixes his roof before it rains." I couldn't | | | | misunderstandings by creating a contract that |
| agree more. I suggest that parents would be well | | | | spells out specific rewards and consequences tied |
| served to sit down with their children and start | | | | to home drug test results. The software also |
| talking about a home drug testing program as | | | | becomes the preferred target of potential |
| early as middle school. | | | | animosity over requests for hair, urine, or saliva |
| To protect privacy, home drug testing kits can be | | | | samples for drug testing purposes because it also |
| ordered on the Internet and shipped in | | | | selects random testing dates. |
| nondescriptive packaging. The accuracy of the | | | | From the time children are very young, they're |
| most popular test kits is comparable to labs and | | | | taught to "just say no" to drugs, and I'm |
| medical clinics at a fraction of the price. Results | | | | convinced that the peer pressure usually gets |
| usually appear within minutes and are easy to | | | | worse when they do. Teens don't know what to |
| read by the average parent in the convenience of | | | | say next. Parents who follow through with a |
| their own home. | | | | home drug testing program give their teens a |
| If the idea of drug testing your teens sounds | | | | socially acceptable excuse. The words "My |
| unreasonable, consider how much times have | | | | parents test me" stop pushy peers in their tracks. |
| changed. If someone told me when I was in high | | | | The final component of a successful program is |
| school by the time my son attended middle | | | | effective parental follow-through. Teens want |
| school, that police officers (now affectionately | | | | their parents to trust them. If they think their |
| referred to as school resource officers) and dogs | | | | parents are naïve and/or won't test them, |
| trained to detect drugs would patrol school | | | | they are more likely to try drugs because they |
| hallways, I would have never believed it. Metal | | | | don't expect to get caught. While teens place a |
| detectors and school shootings aren't nightmares: | | | | high value on maintaining their parents' trust, they |
| they have become a reality. | | | | just don't feel it is in jeopardy without testing. |
| A successful program will have several key | | | | Teens' behavior and choices change when they |
| components. The first component is comprised of | | | | know that it is a near certainty rather than a |
| parents willing to place a higher priority on acting | | | | virtual impossibility that their drug use will be |
| as a parent than as their teenager's best friend. I | | | | discovered. |