Parents, Instill a Little Fear!

Kids have always grappled with drug use and peer pressure since we can all remember. A teenager makes friends with a certain crowd, that crowd dabbles in a little drug use so the teen follows suite not wanting to be singled out.

Back in my day I was no different. Although my close friends did not partake in drugs I “encountered” random people that did use drugs occasionally. I remember being in high school one sunny afternoon and I was hanging out in a stairwell with some classmates during lunch. These particular classmates decided to smoke a joint right there. I was a little taken aback but I always go with the flow and I can adapt easily. No worries. They began passing this joint around and when it reached me I kindly declined. The one person that I was closest to yelled out, “Oh come on Tee, don’t be a square.” That did not persuade me one way or the other, I was steadfast and the others continued getting high while I watched on.

It was easy for me to say no on that day. It was easy because I was literally afraid. Scared out of my mind. Scared of what you may ask….scared to death my parents would find out and kick my little ass that’s what!

My parents had the uncanny ability to know what I was doing and when. It amazed me that I could walk into the house at any given time and my mother would ask, “ Why did you do that today?” and I’d just look at her in stunned silence. They would never give up their sources. My parents didn’t play. My father was straight old school and believed in kicking a kid’s ass.

I say this to say that parents, YOU are the deterrent your kids need to not take drugs. Instill a little fear in them and they will not step out of line. It sure as hell worked for me.