Keeping Your Homeschoolers Off Drugs
By Mimi Rothschild
When some parents think about teen drug use, they usually think of high school seniors getting together for an occasional joint. Unfortunately, this image is a startlingly optimistic perception. Here are some shocking statistics from this recent SAMHSA study:
- One in five eighth graders had tried marijuana at least once.
- One in three had admitted to illicit drug use of any kind, including inhalants such as glue or spray paint fumes.
- One in five teens have admitted to partaking in underage binge drinking.
- One in three teens are current users of tobacco products.
- 15% of high schoolers have tried amphetamines.
These statistics should be enough for parents to want to take their children as far away as possible from this atmosphere. When illicit drug and alcohol use, among other dangers, is so prevalent in our schools even in grades as low as middle school, a parent’s natural reaction is to get them away from these influences.
I think it’s important to postulate the causes of this drug use. When teens are asked why they turn to drug use, an overwhelming majority lazily reply, “There’s nothing else to do.” Consider the following from DrugFree.org:
“Teens who can’t tolerate being alone, have trouble keeping themselves occupied, and crave excitement are prime candidates for substance abuse. Not only do alcohol and marijuana give them something to do, but those substances help fill the internal void they feel. One boy’s statement captures this sentiment. “When I’m stuck in my house with nothing to do,” he said, “all I can think about is going out to party.” Alcohol and drugs become false friends whose glittery promise of a good time is alluring to a bored adolescent. These false friends also help restless, bored, risk-taking teens to forget about troubles that they often face, like family conflicts, school failure, and peer rejection.”
Wow. As a mother of eight, this mentality is so foreign to me. And yet, it rings true with many of my friends’ kids. These teens turn to drug use because life is boring. There is a lesson here for homeschoolers. It’s important that we cultivate in our children an innate desire to learn and explore God’s creation. The internal void described above is all too common in children who have never tasted the excitement that comes with knowing that God has a plan for each child’s life. Each new day should be an adventure. Our house is a flurry of activity throughout the day and well into the night. Compare this to the daily routine of the public school student. They spend eight hours of their day being shuttled from class to class, learning passively rather than actively. When they get home, they tend to sit in front of the television for the remainder of the evening. Who can blame them for eventually turning to drugs in a desperate effort to fight boredom?
I can’t remember the last time I heard, “Mommy, I’m bored.” Try to think of ways to make your homeschool a buzzing hive of learning, growing, and “fullness of life.” Also, pray that God will infuse your children with enthusiasm for drug-free living.