I DARE you to smoke this
Tonight we are going to Rabbit Jr.’s DARE graduation, something the fifth graders in his school are “encouraged to attend, because it really reinforces the DARE message”. The school wants parents to understand that they share the responsibility for their children’s education about drugs, but I’m not sure that giving up my Monday night is going to do that for my son, any more than watching the slide show or taking the class will ultimately keep him from doing drugs.
For now, my son is at that righteous black-and-white time of his life where he can make statements like, “I will NEVER do drugs”, and believe them. And I’m glad he feels that way at age 11. But I know that is his sense of morality because of whom he is, and not because a police officer came and talked to his class. It’s not because he wrote an essay in order to graduate from DARE where he expostulated on the reasons for not smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or responding to peer pressure, because truly, they learn by example (positive OR negative) not by having Officer Olson tell them not to smoke.
There isn’t a kid who doesn’t know about the ill effects of drugs and alcohol by the time they get to middle school. But they do know if their parents, siblings, guardians, friends, are doing it. There are already other kids in his grade who are smoking, who probably are using drugs – their parents do. My children don’t have strong feelings about not using alcohol because they see me drinking wine or even a martini from time to time. But I don’t smoke or use drugs, so they are quite vehement about that.
By the time RJ is done at his middle school in 8th grade, the percentage of users will have skyrocketed to match the levels of children giving blow jobs on the school bus and having sex behind the music room. How has DARE helped these kids? More kids are using drugs and having sex at an earlier age than when I was going to school. And plenty of kids were doing it then. As liberal as I am, I’d rather see my local tax dollars provide more police officers to crack down on the dealers so the kids can’t GET the drugs, than try to forge this ineffectual preemptive strike.
The message to my children has been consistent in my house since before they were old enough to process it. Don’t get in a car with someone who has been drinking or if you have been – call me. Don’t get in a car with someone who has been using drugs or if you have been – call me. If you are ever in a situation where you feel the least bit uncomfortable or like you can’t trust people, call me. My kids know they can call me at any time day or night and get compassion and understanding. That’s the message the parents should be giving to kids. Maybe all of us attending the DARE graduation will help accomplish that, but I don’t think so.
For now, my son is at that righteous black-and-white time of his life where he can make statements like, “I will NEVER do drugs”, and believe them. And I’m glad he feels that way at age 11. But I know that is his sense of morality because of whom he is, and not because a police officer came and talked to his class. It’s not because he wrote an essay in order to graduate from DARE where he expostulated on the reasons for not smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or responding to peer pressure, because truly, they learn by example (positive OR negative) not by having Officer Olson tell them not to smoke.
There isn’t a kid who doesn’t know about the ill effects of drugs and alcohol by the time they get to middle school. But they do know if their parents, siblings, guardians, friends, are doing it. There are already other kids in his grade who are smoking, who probably are using drugs – their parents do. My children don’t have strong feelings about not using alcohol because they see me drinking wine or even a martini from time to time. But I don’t smoke or use drugs, so they are quite vehement about that.
By the time RJ is done at his middle school in 8th grade, the percentage of users will have skyrocketed to match the levels of children giving blow jobs on the school bus and having sex behind the music room. How has DARE helped these kids? More kids are using drugs and having sex at an earlier age than when I was going to school. And plenty of kids were doing it then. As liberal as I am, I’d rather see my local tax dollars provide more police officers to crack down on the dealers so the kids can’t GET the drugs, than try to forge this ineffectual preemptive strike.
The message to my children has been consistent in my house since before they were old enough to process it. Don’t get in a car with someone who has been drinking or if you have been – call me. Don’t get in a car with someone who has been using drugs or if you have been – call me. If you are ever in a situation where you feel the least bit uncomfortable or like you can’t trust people, call me. My kids know they can call me at any time day or night and get compassion and understanding. That’s the message the parents should be giving to kids. Maybe all of us attending the DARE graduation will help accomplish that, but I don’t think so.
posted by kingoftherabbits at
12:25 PM
1 Comments:
Hear, hear.
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