One of Those Arrested Teens Could Have Been Mine or Yours

It’s a scary thought having your kid headlined in the newspaper for illegal behavior.  No doubt the recent marijuana bust in town caught most parents’ attention.  The news is compelling reading as the perp’s names are revealed. A sigh of relief ensues upon learning that the characters are not your teen’s close friends.

Teens are volatile creatures. One day they seem to be so mature by doing all the right things.  The next day…well, not so much.

Most parents of teenagers in the Chathams are all too familiar with the statistics of drug and alcohol abuse in American suburbs. We know that it is the nature of teen development and their sheer curiosity that can potentially propel risky behaviors.

We talk to our children about our expectations, and stress our disapproval for all things harmful, risky and illegal. We hope they hear us, and we seize every opportunity to say it again when the time is right. Teens need and want the approval of their parents, and we trust they obey and respect our guidance.

There’s just one problem. They’re teenagers. Most kids are basically good. It’s just when they get together with other teenagers that they can become unpredictable thrill-seekers. It’s part of the maturation process. The undeveloped brain interacting with peers, striving for independence, but wary of going it alone.

It saddened me to read the lone comment left on the breaking news article about the drug arrest in town,

Those kids didn’t lose. We all lost. It could have been any one of our kids getting busted for something they wouldn’t have done alone, but would do with the encouragement and support of friends.

We all win, too. We are presented with a real life lesson, close to home, to share with our teenagers, and once again establish our expectations, and reiterate our cautions and concerns.

Let’s show solidarity to the now-famous families in town by attending a drug awareness program with our teenagers at the end of the month. The program, which was brought to my attention by The Municipal Alliance Committee of the Chathams, is “Healthy Brain Campaign for Parents and Teens.” It will be held at the Madison YMCA on May 31 from 7:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.

Those 50 something- year-olds headlined for DUIs are pretty scary news events, too.