St. Cloud Community Alliance

Resources for Parents

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Many parents are concerned about underage drinking, particularly when they see the statistics regarding alcohol-related accidents and reports of binge drinking among young people. One of our goals is to remind parents of the important role they play in helping tweens, teens and college students make smart decisions about the use of alcohol. In fact, three of out four teens say their parents, not their friends, are their biggest influence when making decisions about alcohol.

For many parents, bringing up the topic of alcohol is no easy matter. Your teen may try to dodge the discussion, and you may feel unsure of how to proceed. To make the most of your conversation, here are some tips:

  • Take some 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.

The following resources help parents better understand alcohol use among young people and what they can do to help:  

Resources for Parents of K-12 students:

Resources for Parents of College Students (or almost college students):

Recursos para padres:

Resources for Parents of Recovering Students:

General Resources: