IF YOUR CHILD IS DRINKING. . .

by Nancy Hyden Woodward ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 18, 1981

Authoritative information and workable suggestions for concerned parents and educators--especially concerned now that alcohol is the drug of choice among teens. Data on various aspects of the problem (its extent, the physiological manifestations, the media influence) provide a backdrop for recommended actions. In a chapter on helping the non-abusing child, Woodward elaborates convincingly on conventional ideas. Re ""communicate with your children""--use family meetings to talk through what a boy should do if his date is drinking more at a party than she can handle, or what a family should do if a teenager planning a party wants to serve beer. On ""help them to learn to make choices""--start early, with lunch menus; explore alternatives to driving home drunk (staying overnight, using a ""buddy system,"" etc.) before the need arises. In the material on dealing with alcohol-abusing children, a ""get-tough"" attitude prevails--tempered with advocacy of professional help. ""The alcohol abuser cannot be coddled,"" Woodward writes; ""he must be responsible for his own actions""--even to leaving him to his own devices to get out of jail, or charging rent to the child who has been suspended from school (since parents should not ""allow him and the disease to sponge off"" them). But parents are also encouraged to get children into treatment programs and to participate themselves. With particulars on sources of aid (and some innovative initiatives), an excellent guide--straightforward and unflustered.

Pub Date: Nov. 18, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION