Activities are Important in a Drug Free Life
By Robert D. Grupe, Prevention Coordinator
School days, school days dear old golden school days reading and writing and arithmetic . . . The end of summer brings thoughts of a new school year and the headaches for the renewed role that parents take: extracurricular activity manager. Baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, track, scholar bowl, and soccer are just a few of the many activities youth can get involved with after school these days. Parents are expected to get their kids to games, practices, and whatever else while still managing the rest of family life. However painstaking, this involvement just might be one of the keys to raising a drug free youth. Studies have shown that youth active in structured and positive extracurricular activities are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs. Youth involvement in different after school programs is important for a variety of reasons.
Teens spend much time looking for an identity. One of the biggest challenges in the teenage years is finding a niche which is comfortable and adds to the youth's self esteem through positive peer interaction. Extracurricular activities sponsored by school, church, or city organizations fit into this category. Teens find something that makes them feel worthwhile and allows peer interaction. Unfortunately, alcohol and drugs have become one of the options that appear to provide the same feelings of belonging. Teens need to have something that helps to nurture that feeling of belonging and drugs are not the answer. A drawback is that teens must experiment to see where they belong which is a major reason for multiple extracurricular activities. It is a parent's nightmare especially when everything seems to be happening at the same time. However, a busy schedule is much easier than dealing with teens using drugs. As parents, work with your teen in narrowing down their positive interests. It creates a supporting environment and is an excellent chance to spend quality time with your kids.
Parents are always asking their teens to be more responsible. Extracurricular activities can help in this request. Work with your teens on creating a workable schedule that benefits the whole family while still including time for outside activities. One barrier that many parents encounter is letting the activities run the family. By working with children at an early age and fostering interests it is possible to alleviate much of this overdoing of extracurricular activities. It also allows for a greater amount of family communication. It is a parent's role to impress upon their children that doing a good job at one thing is much better than doing a mediocre job at multiple things. This is one of life's greatest lessons and one that will ultimately enhance the process into adulthood.
Extracurricular activities, when properly managed, can be an excellent springboard for learning basic life concepts important in adulthood. The biggest excuse teens give for drug use is there is nothing else to do. Getting involved in sports and other activities counter this excuse and can affect teens in a positive manner. It requires some family planning but extracurricular activities really play a large role in growing up with a drug free lifestyle. For more information regarding drug and alcohol prevention, contact Heartland Human Services.