During the early years, children are like sponges; they learn a lot about how to behave by observing, copying and interacting with their  parents ,as well as their grand parents, older siblings and other friends and relatives who they are close to.

“If you swear they swear, if you yell they’ll yell, if you smack they’ll smack – essentially they learn from you.” Dr John Irvine, child and family psychologist.

In the formative years, parents have the greatest power to positively influence their child by drinking responsibly, because this is when children learn how to define normal behaviour.

The primary years are a time of learning and change. As your child grows up and goes to school it is important for you to remember that you are still the number one influence on your child’s development.

Research shows that by delaying the onset of drinking until at least the age of 15 years, the more likely your children will become responsible drinkers in later life.” Dr Andrew Rockford, Accident and Emergency

TIPS TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

1. Drink responsibly; if you drink responsibly, your children will learn that this is the right way to drink.
2. Be aware of how you drink in front of your child. Do you drink out of habit or to combat stress?
3. Consider whether alcohol needs to be a part of every family gathering or social activity.
4. Convey appropriate attitudes; glorifying or laughing about drunken behavior in yourself or others gives your child the wrong message.
5. Be prepared to explain to your child the sorts of questions that they will ask you about alcohol.
6. Use news events, TV episodes, advertising, movies or personal events as triggers to discuss what appropriate or inappropriate behaviour is.
7. Openly discuss drinking with your child; ask them if they will drink when they are older and why. Their answers may surprise both of you.
8. Talk about the good and bad aspects of alcohol with your child. Messages about how you regards alcohol and its appropriate wise will stay with them for years to come.
9. Be aware of peer influences on your child’s attitudes toward drinking.

What you do is what your child learn

• Drink to get drunk means your child sees getting drunk as normal and the best way to have a good time.
• Drinking alcohol as a way to relax means to them that this is the only way to relax.
• Drinking alcohol at every occasion means to them that you can’t socialise  with friends unless you have alcohol.
• Have ago at other people who don’t drink shows them that there is something wrong with people who don’t drink.
• Drink when you are feeling sad, depressed, angry, frustrated or bored makes them think that alcohol is the answer to life’s problems and difficulties.
• Drink every night makes them think that people should be drinking every day.

Information taken from Drinkwise Australia and the Australian Government Department of health and Ageing.

Visit www.drinkwise.com.au for more info