Teenage Drinking Parenting Advice: How to Stop Teenage Drinking

As a parent, you work hard to make sure your child stays healthy and happy. Despite all of your efforts, however, there may come a time when your parental intuition tells you, “Something’s up. I think my teenager is drinking alcohol.”  

Since teens are naturally curious and at a stage where testing boundaries is normal, you may be tempted to ignore your concerns. However, your teen’s drinking is not the same as them wearing clothes you disapprove of or experimenting with new hair colors.  

Underage drinking can pose serious risks to their health and safety. Fortunately, your guidance and influence can help them stop drinking alcohol and avoid potentially life-altering consequences. Here are some strategies to help you deal with a teen who is drinking. 

 1. Communicate 

The most important piece of teenage drinking parenting advice is to talk with your teen, and keep talking. Even when you think they aren’t listening, they do hear what you’re saying and care about what you think.  

Research has shown that teens are less likely to drink alcohol when they know their parents will be upset with them for making this risky decision. If you aren’t sure how to talk with your teen about alcohol, you can visit the Talk it Out NC website for helpful conversation starters. Then try these steps to open up lines of communication with your child:  

• Choose the right time: Start a conversation when you and your teen are both calm and relaxed and can talk without interruption. Don’t wait until they’re walking out the door to meet friends, and don’t try to talk with them if you think they’re currently under the influence of alcohol. 

• Express your concerns calmly: As much as possible, be non-confrontational. Share your fears about your teen’s well-being by using “I” statements rather than accusatory language. For instance, instead of saying, “Your drinking will get you in trouble,” you might say, “I worry about your health and safety when you drink alcohol.” 

• Listen: If you want your teen to listen to you, you have to model that behavior and truly listen to them. When they talk, don’t interrupt. Pay attention to what they’re saying instead of thinking of what you’ll say next. 

• Set clear expectations: Let your teen know that underage drinking isn’t permitted and explain what the consequences will be for breaking this family rule. If they do drink alcohol, follow through with punishment. 

2. Educate 

Your teen may think they know everything about alcohol, but oftentimes their information comes from social media or stories their friends or classmates share. Myths and misinformation about alcohol can put teens in real danger. Equip your teen with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions: 

• Explain the facts: Discuss the physical, emotional, and legal consequences of underage drinking. Provide accurate information from credible sources. Talk it Out NC has pages of resources and tools to help you explain the facts to your teen. 

• Address peer pressure: Most teenagers will face peer pressure to drink alcohol at some point. Help your teen develop strategies to resist it, especially if they’ve already been having difficulty saying “no” to drinking. 

• Encourage healthy alternatives: Many teens drink out of boredom or because they don’t have a sense of belonging to something larger. Support them in getting involved with extracurricular activities, sports, hobbies, or volunteer work that will give them a good reason not to drink.

3. Demonstrate 

You can get all the teenage drinking parenting advice in the world, but it won’t be worth much if your behavior doesn’t match what you tell your teen. Here’s how to be a role model to your teen: 

• Drink responsibly: If you make it seem like you need alcohol to have a good time, your teen will likely feel the same way. Don’t binge drink and never drive after drinking alcohol. 

• Manage your stress: Let your teen see that you can face anxiety or disappointment without using alcohol as a coping mechanism. 

• Don’t give your teen alcohol: When you allow your teen to drink alcohol with you, it may give them the impression that underage drinking is no big deal and that they can drink with their friends too. 

4. Activate resources from Talk it Out NC 

 When it comes to teenage drinking parenting advice, Talk it Out NC has you covered. In addition to the previously mentioned conversation starters and facts about underage drinking, we offer webinars for parents, teachers, mentors, and others to help prevent underage drinking.  

We also have an extensive list of resources for parents whose teens are already drinking alcohol. Visit our website today and get ready to start the conversation with your teen!