Athletic events - show support for your child by attending his/her games.

Attendance - make sure your child attends school regularly and is on time.

Availability - be available to listen to your child.

Chauffeur- take advantage of the time you spend driving your child to talk to them.

Chores - give your child responsibilities at home.

Conferences - attend parent-teacher conferences.

Enrichment/extracurricular activities - encourage involvement.

Homework- provide designated time and place and be available to answer questions and provide assistance, but never do the homework.

Open house - attend your child's annual school open house.

Program attendance - attend all school programs that your child participates in or send another significant adult in your place.

Progress report check - know when to expect the progress report. Communicate to your child's teachers any concerns.

Teacher appreciation - give your child's teacher an encouraging phone call or personal note.

Telephone conferences - take advantage of the time teachers have been allotted to have personal conferences with parents.

Tell us about problems that may influence your child's behavior or performance. Refer to Quality Questions Deserve Quality Answers.

Substance Abuse (Top of Page)

Keep guard up against alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use in middle school!

Middle school is one of the most vulnerable periods in a child's life. Yet some parents often relax their guard. They think "kids are on their own now." Rushing them into freedom is a "recipe for disaster," says one middle school teacher who runs an after-school drug program. They need parents' help to resist the peer pressure around them. To keep middle-schoolers drug free, parents should:

1. Examine your own attitudes and behavior regarding ATOD. These influence how you will discuss these issues with your child, and may come up when you talk. You communicate by your own example. Model consistency and clarity.
   
   
2. Arm children with facts about drugs, not fear. If you try to frighten them or don't know what you're talking about–you'll lose credibility.
   
   
3. Keep advice in the here and now. Children this age don't care about long-term health threats.
   
   
4. Establish clear rules and consequences about ATOD. With your spouse or other adults in your household, decide how you will handle alcohol, tobacco and other drug issues and rules in the family. Make sure your child knows what you expect and what consequences will follow if the rules are broken.
   
   
5. Set limits. Know your child's friends and whereabouts.
   
   
6. Help your child understand how to make wise decisions. Peer acceptance is important to young people and may threaten good judgment and family expectations. Show your child that you understand these pressures. Practice ways that your child can resist peer pressure to engage in inappropriate behavior. Discuss ways to avoid situations where problems may occur
   
   
7. Keep your child busy with extra-curricular activities and after school chores.
   
   
8. Stay involved in your child's life at home and school.

Source: Adopted from How to Raise Drug Free Kids-A Family Guide produced by Reader's Digest and The Michigan Parent Handbook, 1996.

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