Healthy Huskies

Parents & Families

Parents play a powerful role in minimizing their teen's drinking during college when they talk with them about alcohol before they enter college.

Even though your teen many try to dodge the discussion about alcohol, three out of four teens say their parents, not their friends, are their biggest influence.

Resources for parents of college students (or almost college students)

How can we help?

We value feedback and insight. Please contact us at uchoose@stcloudstate.edu to share your thoughts on how we can:

  • Create a welcoming place for your student.
  • Provide support and information for parents.
  • Offer tools that help you engage in conversation with your student about informed choices and alcohol use.
  • Provide information on how to better reach you.

Tips to help with the talk:

  • Take time to think about the issues and what you want to say before initiating the discussion.
  • Consider how your teen might react and ways you might respond to their questions or concerns.
  • Choose a time to talk when both you and your teen have some "down time" and are feeling relaxed.
  • Talk about these difficult issues in ways that show caring, trust and respect.
  • Remember that you don't need to cover everything at once. Many small talks are better than one big talk.