How do you turn media publicity about celebrities with drug problems into teachable moments for your kids?

Question

As a medical professional who has studied addiction and as a father of three, I am aware of the challenges kids face to stay healthy and drug-free. Influences arise from a variety of places and more and more often news of celebrity drug and alcohol abuse is turning up on the evening news, or your child is getting the latest headline from reading a magazine in the grocery store checkout line. Tell me how you turn media publicity about celebrities with drug problems into teachable moments for your kids and visit www.TimeToTalk.org to access tools to help you get the conversation going.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Danella Westbrooke lost the bridge of her nose due to cocaine


Show girls a picture of that with the line...

Does coke boost your pulling chances? yeah right more like scare off the guys

Answer 2

The stories write themselves, look at the trouble they get into, and how far they come down in the world after having every thing.
I think as long as you make sure to point these things out, it might actually help to have kids see this.

Answer 3

Show them the "non-glam" side, like Brittney being hauled off in an ambulance and or mug shots of the celebs. Show them how even stars can lose it all by the giving into drugs.

Answer 4

Grandma here... I have three grandaughters in the teen and tween ages. I wish they didn't know about the trials of these girls. I do tell them that these girls have never been told NO since they started earning so much money. They have not been parented in a long time. They do not have the skills to make good decisions because money has made them very isolated.

Answer 5

We had a long discussion with our young girls when Jamie Lynn Spears announced her pregnancy. They didnt see any problem with it at all- they felt she had done nothing wrong. We did discuss all the ramificaions with them especially how most girls Jamie's age dont have the money or means to care for a child at that age. We have also discussed drug and alcohol problems using Britney and Lindsay as examples. We talked about eating disorders when Mary Kate went through her problems.

Celebrity "bad" times gives parents lots of opportunity to speak with their children about these kinds of behaviors.

Answer 6

Where some see challenge i see opportunity to teach kids. In fact their stupidity is a great example of what the road takes u down. Their looking beaten and worn is a great way to keep any teen away.

If people with access to money and professionals cant keep it together "dabbling" in drugs and alcohol, what do u think could happen to you or your friends?

Answer 7

I use those stories to point my son back to the importance of being selective with who you pattern your life after. As a Christian my hope is that he will live according to how I have raised him. But, if he doesn't I hope the warnings (against putting celebrities and athletes that he doesn't really know on a pedestal) will take hold.

Answer 8

I'd say just let them watch those shows about celebreties. They all look so awful and ugly... Plus, isn't it cool now among teens to be drug free and proud? I see alot of kids wearing 'Hugs not drugs' tshirts and belts that say 'drug free' and things like that so I justy assumed that doing drugs is 'out'.

Answer 9

I am surprised that you, a medical professional, are overlooking mental health issues that often play a role in substance abuse. I think we should be rethinking about the environment our kids live in and the pressures we put on them.

Edit: I visited the website you solicit and it says there that "Kids who learn about the risk of drugs are up to 50% less likely to use". No more than 50% is not very impressive. I have to believe that we can do more to help our children.

Source(s):

Personal experience working with individuals with mental health problems including addiction.

Answer 10

My kids see on their own what losers these people are and comment on it. My husband and I use this to point out how stupid drug use is but our kids have generally already decided that.

Answer 11

Its true that some drugs are bad, but it is not like you do drugs once...and this is how you end up. Celebrities...ordinary people...usually get hooked on drugs...maybe as an escape to their problems etc. What you need to teach yoru children is that their are better ways of eliminating or dealing with problems. don't always blame the drug. Ask yourself this question, Would you do drugs just to do them? I think there are usually underlying reasons...

Answer 12

Let them know about the situation and don't make it harder for them to get confused finds the easy words to explain the matter.

Answer 13

I have 2 daughters, ages 10 and 15. We talk about what the "celeb's" are doing frequently. Mostly, my kids think they are pretty stupid! We talk about the dangers of too much money at too young an age, when you aren't really prepared for it, the possibility of "friends" who only like you or pretend to like you because you have money and fame. We also talk about the abuse of sex and the abuse of marriage vows.
I have been using the media coverage since they were very small and could understand what cigarettes, drugs and alcohol were.

Answer 14

I think for some kids that are old enough to watch that its good to see these Celebrities how they were before and now.So they get a clear idea of what Drugs can do and it doesn't matter who you are either.And I think that it also teaches us as a parent what to look out for too.I am a parent of three as well and I know for a fact I could look at my kids and see if something was wrong so I don't know why celebrities parents miss the signs so much.I also discuss Drugs and what they can do openly .kids listen we are teachers they learn more from us more than anyone else.

Answer 15

I'm not a parent - but I think the best way is to first of all monitor what your children are exposed to. You should know what they are watching and listening to and should try to shield them from the machine that glamorizes out-of-control celebrities as the ideal. If they do get exposed to it you should be honest about the issues these people are facing. I'm a strong advocate of being honest with children - they understand a lot more than many adults think they can understand. If you have the opportunity inform them of the tragedy's and issues facing these stars and why they need help.

Answer 16

Explain to them that turning to drugs is PROOF that these young people aren't REALLY happy, but in fact, are very unhappy with their lives (as glamourous as those lives seem)..

Explain that what it means is that your child must figure out what brings real happiness in life and what is important to pursue and what is not..

Answer 17

The trick is showing the kids you're not hiding anything from them. Kids are very smart, and can sense when you're being untruthful even if they don't let you know. Promoting open communication about issues will let kids know they can turn to you in the future.

Answer 18

Use Brittany Spears when she was bald and what she became when she was on drugs (BEST ANSWER?) Good luck. PS If you want to be a good parent if they aren't 10 or over don't even tell them what a drug is unless you have a feeling your 9 year old is on drugs

Answer 19

My kids see these people on the news and when they do or they mention it we talk about the drugs and I use them as a prime example why not to use. I let them know that people react that way all the time from drug abuse its just since they're famous the whole country can see it. My kids see the before and during so that they know how it starts.

Answer 20

By talkijg to your children and telling them why they should not do what the so called stars are doing.

Answer 21

I find just having a conversation about it, is the best . Ask them what they think , concerning Brittney i would ask why do you think she shaved he head , do you think she is upset about losing her children. why do you think she got married so young? do you think it was a mistake marrying so young even with alot of money?
If she is having a hard time with all that money, what do you think average people her age have to deal with?
I think asking questions have a discussion allows kids to internalizes good values and design making skills.
Most important I would try to allow them to come up with there own answers.
and i would tell them i am praying for her cause she is going thought a difficult time.

Answer 22

Lets see a good way to be is look how this person career was before now look how it is now. Another way is to just say is the bad effect of using drugs. Why would you just talk to your kids after a celebrity has a drug problem why not talk to them before or when you feel that you need them. Is television really controlling our lifes that much?

Answer 23

By setting limits and having standards.

Answer 24

I honestly don't believe that celebrities problems are way to get across to kids because in this society, to many youths use those influences as a kickstand to describe their problems, when they have nothing in common. Also as parent it's our jobs to help our avoid these moments, I was watching intervention the other nite there was a girl named Jill on there who had been drinking since she was 16y/o, who's fault is it that these activities were going on besides the parent, who give to much leverage to kids , so a spouse of a doctor who works with people with addition, I think that if more parent were held accountable for the downfall of their children by law enforcement I'm sure things would change.

Answer 25

Good question.

For those celebrities doing movies and tv; I would remind my kids that what they see on screen is just an act. Something that was written for the person that they are pretending to be. What they do off camera is real life.

I guess that you can say the same thing goes for a musician. They write and perform songs about life but most of those songs are what they would like to happen in their life.

Answer 26

It's one of the easiest teaching tools out there. Simply show the children pics, films, etc. of a celebrity at the top and then let them see the mug shots, taped drunken stupors, idiotic behavior, etc. and then ask your child if THEY want to end up looking like that.

If a celebrity looks that silly or stupid when they're high or drunk, ask your child to imagine what they'd look like.

Answer 27

Looks, talent, and money are no shield against addiction and the negative effects of.
The drunk acting out at bus stop is no different than the celebrity acting out in front of Hollywood night spot.
The street junkie OD'd in the alley is no different than celebrity OD'd in Malibu mansion.
Four point restraints no fun for either.

Been through four rehabs. An equal number of psych wards. I am not sure how many times in detox.
Been under four point restraint threatened with five if I did not shut my mouth.
14 years sober.

Answer 28

id also have to say show them the before and after...take briteny spears and lindsay lohan, show them how they were before and how much trouble they are getting into now and how difficult there life is. i never paid attention to anything i didnt know much about drugs at all, i heard about them being addicitve but vaguly, other than that i thought they were fine, i got into ocs and now my life has changed, im doing much better now but its definately a struggle and will ruin your life and as a parent i think just informing them on it will help. i feel like if i paid attention more to it adn was more informed of how bad it could change your life then iw ould not have done it

Answer 29

I would tell them that even all the money and fame in the world does not bring happiness!

Answer 30

Being open and honest about all things and treating your children with respect and love will leave you open to conversation with anything and everything. If celebs are in the news doing drugs, you and your child can look at them together and say "Isn't that foolish? Why ruin your life that way when you have everything handed to you like that? That's no way to live a happy, fulfilling life."

Answer 31

wow, when I was a kid I was outside playing ball and running around like a kid. (and I am not that old)

Just be as good an example on your life and do not condone that type of behavior, punish it unbelievably harshly if it happens in your family.


Maybe if the television was turned off more and the kids weren't little gossiping media induced adults (because when they reach adulthood they want to try to act like kids and become foolish, pathetic caricatures of themselves) then this problem would not even surface.

If it is completely necessary to use things like this as examples in a childs life you have a hard road ahead of you.

In past society defiance was created by the more rebellious and bold kids, now society has trained them to be defiant even if they don't have the true backbone of rebellion in them.

I guess what I am saying is that I really see no way to make this a positive learning lesson, situations like this tell the kids that this is what people do (especially when you have 45 pop culture media news sources repeating it every 30 minutes for a week) and when they have a personal attachment (or sick obsession, as the youth has now toward celebrities) you cannot make an issue of something like this without causing an argument or igniting the socialogical induced defiance because the celebrity is the one on tv, rich, and popular, imaturity makes people believe people on tv are somehow "cooler" or "better" than those not on tv.

So, turn off the tv...

Make the kids be kids and play instead of get pregnant at 16 and on drugs at 20 and stop gossiping, that's what spreads all this sickness - people trying to outdo each other in outlandishness, it's like a Jerry Springer show but in real life...

Source(s):

Life, honesty, truth