5 Mistakes Parents Make With Teens

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Health & Parenting Center

Teen Abuse of Cough and Cold Medicine

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This content is from an educational collaboration between WebMD Editorial and StopMedicineAbuse.org.

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9 Warning Signs of Teen Drug Abuse Would you know if your teen was abusing cough and cold medicine?
Hiding Drugs in Plain Sight DXM is in almost every home. Are you tempting your teen?
Checklist: How to Help Your Teen Hands-on advice about how to help protect your teen from drugs.
The Rise in Cough Medicine Abuse It's cheap, easy to get -- and very dangerous.
One Girl's Story of Addiction Kristin was just 15 when she first tried getting high on cough medicine.
A Mother's Struggle She says she should have seen the signs. She had no idea her daughter was in trouble.
How Kids Get Hooked They say, "What's the big deal? It's only cough syrup!"
Teens Take a Stand The truth? Most teens don't use drugs. These tips can help teens take a stand.
Making the Right Decisions Check out these common situations. How would you react?
Role Playing for Teens and Parents Read over these scenarios together. Act them out with your teen.
Tips on Teachable Moments Your teen needs more than a single "talk" about drugs.
Common Drug Slang Have you heard these words? Get to know drug slang to help protect your child.
5 Teen Behavior Problems Does your teen defy you a lot? Here's how to nip behavior problems in the bud.
Teens and Peer Pressure Friends play a subtle role in your child's decisions.
When Teens Lie About Drugs It's a fact: Teens lie about drugs -- and too often parents believe them.
Teen Depression: Symptoms and Tips Many teens are irritable or moody. How can you tell when it's really depression?
5 Mistakes Parents Make The top mistakes parents make with tweens and teens -- and how to avoid them.
Monitoring Your Teen Online Should you monitor your teen's online activity? Here are points to consider.
Teen Privacy: When to Cross the Line Do the dangers of drug abuse override your teen's right to privacy?
Friends: A Bad Influence? 9 Things to Do When You're Worried
10 Things to Tell Your Teen Real-life advice and how to get through.
Preparing Tweens for Middle School Get tips to help your tween cope with this exciting but risky time.

5 Mistakes Parents Make With Teens and Tweens

Here are the top mistakes parents make with their teens and tweens, and how to avoid them.

(continued)

5. Too Much, or Too Little, Discipline continued...

Yet too little discipline doesn't help, either. Teens and tweens need clear structure and rules to live by as they start to explore the world outside.

As their parent, it's up to you to set your family's core values and communicate them through your words and actions. That's being an authoritative parent, an approach that "helps children develop the skills they need to govern themselves in appropriate ways," Lerner says.

Remember, your influence runs deeper than you may think. Most teens say they want to spend more time with their parents. Keep making time for your child throughout the tween and teen years. Even when it doesn’t show, you provide the solid ground they know they can always come home to.

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Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on October 19, 2011

Teen Drug Abuse

An educational collaboration with:

Parent Pledge: Help Stop Cough Medicine Abuse

Join the parents who have pledged to safeguard their home medicine cabinet and talk to their teen about the dangers of
abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter cough medicines.

Talk to Your Kids about Cough Medicine Abuse

Teens who have talked to their parents about the risks of drug and medicine abuse are 50% less likely to abuse drugs and medicines.

talk to your kids about otc medicine abuse

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What Can You Do
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