Dear Parents and Guardians,

Parenting and teaching teenage boys can be many things; magic and madness, pride and – sometimes – heartbreak. 

I was deeply saddened to hear about the death of Gary “Angry” Anderson’s son Liam on the weekend.  Both Liam and the young man now accused of his murder, were under the influence of alcohol. The accused, aged just 20, had allegedly also taken drugs.  Liam Anderson’s death has changed everything for his family, for the family of the accused and their friends. It is a double tragedy.

With the end of term, schoolies week and Christmas fast approaching, how do we stop our boys from making bad decisions. We know that boys over the summer holidays can have a lot of free time and experience tells us that some do not use this time wisely.

Keep yourself current: Take the time to learn what kids are using and experimenting with now. It changes constantly. Know what’s out there and know its street name.

Use visual examples: Drugs can take bright and shiny futures and reduce them to rubble. Examples are plentiful. Make sure your children see the outcomes of drug abuse.

Provide guidance: Positive peer pressure is powerful.

Avoid threats: We know that teens like to rebel. They must be helped to make their own informed decision to abstain from harmful behaviour.

Be the gatekeeper: Drugs such as alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes are often called gateway drugs. Kids who are later ravaged by drug addiction on most occasions started with these. Be a gatekeeper and strive to prevent the problem before it ever starts.

Know your son’s friends: Who does your son spend his time with? It is vitally important to know the people in your children’s lives. Are they at the place they said they were going to?

Do not shelter your boys from reality: Talk honestly about the perils facing them. Know that they will encounter drugs and give them the foundation to resist the temptation. It can be very difficult to say no. Make sure they know why they should.

I hope I have provided a starting place for a dialogue with your son.