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The Power of Positive Reinforcement and Your Teen

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the power of positive reinbursement

The Following is a sponsored post for Stop Medicine Abuse.Org. The opinions are all mine.

In December my first baby turns 16. How is it possible that the baby I brought home from the hospital is about to get his learner’s permit for a driver’s license?

When Tom was an infant, the teen years were so far away that I barely thought about them while I was toting him around in a baby carrier or pushing him in the stroller.

To be perfectly honest whenever I did, it was with more than a little fear.

Now that day is here.

#ToMyTeenThe little boy I use to sing songs with on the way to preschool became the teen who has me in stitches, talking about the film he and his friends are making in film class while I’m driving him home from track practice.

Instead of reading him Dr. Seuss on my lap or Harry Potter by the side of his bed, we’re having discussions about To Kill A Mockingbird over over a cup of coffee that we grab after an orthodontist’s appointment.

The child who would run to the door to give his Grandpa Joe a big hug now is the young man who loves to walk up to the assisted living community where my father-in-law now lives. They get to talk about the latest mess the Mets are in or what is going on in the world that day.

Now I’m smack in the middle of “Teenville.” It’s not nearly as scary as I once feared it would be, and it’s more fun than I ever imagined it could be.

Is it challenging? Yes, of course. Will Tom get an A for effort in “Driving Parents Crazy” and “Limit Testing” this year? Yes! That’s what teens do. My husband and I, as Tom’s parents, have the job of setting limits and making sure he sticks to them.

That’s why I was so excited when the Stop Medicine Abuse campaign asked me to participate in their new #ToMyTeen campaign. October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. Instead of focusing on the negative images about teens that we seem to always see every time we open a paper or go online, this campaign wants parents to talk about what is great and rewarding about raising teenagers today.

Why? Well research shows that teens who are validated by their parents are more confident and more resistant to peer pressure, including medicine abuse.

Did you know that approximately 1 in 25 teens report abusing over-the-counter cough medicines containing dextromethorphan to get high? (Used according to directions DXM is a safe and effective ingredient found in many over-the-counter cough medicines.)

What can we do? Talk to our kids. Let them know about the dangers of abusing over-the-counter cough medicines.

Parents_ConversationStarters_Infographic

Learn the warning signs of abuse, and learn the terms kids may use to describe it.

Skittling_Infographic (1)Are you not sure how to start the conversation? Do you want to have a little fun and show your teen some love? Do you want a chance to win one of five $50 Visa Gift Cards that will be picked by random at the end of the month?

Visit the really fun and easy #ToMyTeen site, and answer one of the questions about raising teens and tweens today.

Write down your answer on a large piece of paper and take a photo of yourself holding up the answer. Upload it to the site and you’re done.

The only thing left is to show your teen your answer and start the conversation!

 

 

 

 

Comments

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Thanks!! Kerry I come from an all girl family so this being a boy mom, and especially the mom of teen boy seemed so foreign to me but I love it! He and his friends crack me up!!

  3. Linda Roy says

    omg – skittling? Please tell me it’s going to the drugstore to buy a bag of Skittles. It’s not easy talking to teens about this stuff, that’s for sure. Last year the Today Show did a thing about this purple drink that all the kids were getting into at parties. Max came downstairs for breakfast and I immediately launched into my “stay away from the purple drink” talk.
    He was all “Mom! What ARE you talking about? I don’t even know what that IS!” Now he and his friends exchange knowing looks and quips like “Hey, let’s go get us some purple drink!” I can’t WAIT to ask him about skittling. hahaha
    Linda Roy recently posted…I See Old PeopleMy Profile

    • Kathy Radigan says

      I know Linda!!! I had no idea either!! It is scary and I think it can be hard to talk about this stuff, which is why I love this campaign. The #ToMyTeen site is really fun and you can keep it light while still getting your point across. Love the “purple stuff”!! But really I think that is what it’s about, when kids know we are talking to them about it, even if they are having a little fun at our expense they know we are aware. xo

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Stephanie it’s really scary. I had no idea that 1 in 25 use OTC cough medicine to get high. It was great to work on the campaign because Tom and I could talk about it in a very non-threatening way. Which is why I love this campaign too!!! And, I promise it’s really not as scary as it sounds and it is amazing to see your kids grow and change. xoxo

  6. Michelle says

    I had no idea the cough syrup thing was so big!

    Three of our kids are grown and out of the house. My 16 year old is the only one left. He’s challenging at times, but mostly, he is a joy. Funny and smart and kind. I dig that kid so very much.
    Michelle recently posted…National Grouch DayMy Profile

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Michelle I had no idea either that the numbers were so high until I started working with this campaign. It’s good to know you have gone through it three times before and survived. I can’t believe my baby is going to be 16. And yes, you are so right, it is challenging, but they are fun and funny. Plus it’s so much fun to share movies and books that you love with your kids!! xoxo

  8. Kristi Campbell says

    Kathy,
    I was clueless about the skittling and DXing and all of it – AND my step-daughter lived with us for four years. Never had even heard of them. I love this campaign. I love that your relationship with Tom is so amazing – reading that you are so open and fun with each other is truly inspiring and something I very much hope to have with my own son when he’s a teen.

    • Kathy Radigan says

      Thanks Kristi! I love this campaign for that very reason, it not only educates us parents about things that kids are doing but it does give a fun way to spark a conversation. I had never heard of these terms either!! I have to say coming from a family of all girls I never knew how much the teen years can be with boys. They are very funny!! xo

Much thanks to Joseph Radigan, who besides being a great husband and father, also uses his talents to gently and ever so tactfully edit my blog. Joe is a business editor at Thomson Reuters in NY.
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