Countering the addiction epidemic: Responding to opioids and other risky drug use trends with hope
There is plenty of reason for parents to be concerned about the drug trends youth are exposed to today. Vaping is rampant among youth at early ages as nicotine and cannabis are consumed with electronic devices and are difficult to detect. Children are literally...
Why devices are not to blame for a lack of connection with your child
Recently I found a very honest and inspirational book on parenting at the local thrift store, entitled, The Key to Your Child’s Heart, by Gary Smalley. Published in 1984, Smalley (an author, educator, pastor, husband and father) shares some of the fundamentals of...
A parent’s secret weapon against online threats
Key points: When parents criticize, judge and condemn other people’s children and their parents for things that disturb the peace (depression and anxiety/sexting/drug use/crime/bullying), the signal sent to youth is that it is not safe to talk about anything happening...
Steps every family can take to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic
As someone who has a passion for establishing open communication about the adult issues impacting the lives of youth and families, I want to share a community’s hopeful response to the opioid epidemic which has touched every family and community in some way. Last...
What ‘Beautiful Boy’ says about addiction and family relations
Executive summary Suffering is a part of the human condition. And families have power to decide what to think about and how to respond to suffering. Brain science tells us that addiction is a form of suffering; it is a pathological relationship to intoxication* making...
