Erin’s husband Steve drew birthday party duty with the six year old this weekend. But while he had to endure Eddie being sugared up to the gills for this pool party, he was also able to get his parental chit-chat on. Steve is the Han Solo of banter–always ready with some wit.

But this day, one of the parents steered the conversation to more serious waters. He asked Steve how parenting a teen was different than a six year old. Steve threw this out: “Not different at all. I still do what I’ve always done. Trust but verify.” It’s a play on the toddler truism, “Never turn your back on them”, and it just happens to be a critical part of the teen parenting arsenal.

For most parents, the teen years loom in the distance as a scary landscape you would much rather detour around. As current residents of Planet Teen, we are here to say that the weather is generally not so bad here, you just need to be prepared, you know, pack that umbrella to protect yourself from sudden storms. As your guides through this territory, we think that outfitting yourself with common sense, arming yourself with knowledge, and decking yourself out with a panoply of patience will help you navigate your way. It also might help to carry Steve’s truism close to the vest.

It also helps to keep your eyes wide open for trouble. It’s best to see the potholes ahead before they rip out your undercarriage. It’s part of that common sense thing we were talking about.

One of these potholes is right in front of your nose. There are unexpected dangers lurking in your medicine cabinet long after you have outgrown the need for child-proof caps. Dextromethorphan (DXM) is an effective ingredient found in many over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines. It’s perfectly safe unless you have decided to use it to get high in which case it enters the danger zone. When abused, DXM can cause side effects including vomiting, stomach pain, mild distortions of color and sound, hallucinations, and loss of motor control. Scarily enough, approximately 1 in 20 teens is abusing excessive amounts of DXM and 1 in 3 knows someone who has abused cough medicine to get high.

But YOU can take control of the wheel. October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month and we are pleased to be partnering with Stop Medicine Abuse to bring you the tools you need. Stop Medicine Abuse is an organization dedicated to working with families and  teens to prevent OTC medicine abuse. The organization is generous and informed and ready to answer your questions about this hazard in your home.

So now that we are sure that you understand there is an issue, the next obvious question is . . .

What can parents do?

1. Listen to the language your kids use.

Here’s a starter list of slang terms for medicinal abuse. Visit the Stop Medicine Abuse site for a more detailed list as well as some conversation starters.

2. Be vigilant for the warning signs

• Unusual empty bottles and boxes. Make sure that any of these in your child’s room, trash, backpack, or school locker is immediately discussed.
• Loss of interest in hobbies or favorite activities. This is always a red flag. Ask the question. Sometimes kids have just moved on from something they used to enjoy, but other times it’s indicative of a deeper issue.
  
• Changes in friends, physical appearance, sleeping, or eating patterns. Promise yourself and your kid that you’ll be a parent who is tuned in. Don’t let any of these go without a comment or a conversation.
• Declining grades. Schoolwork is a great barometer. Don’t ignore any issues that pop up.

3. Take the first step in preventing this abuse: EDUCATE yourself and your family.

Click and Learn

4. Talk, talk, talk, and talk some more.

And remember this: in spite of the fact that every other sentence you say might elicit an eye roll or exasperated sigh, you still play a powerful role at the center of your child’s universe. Hold on to this knowledge as a talisman.  Pledge that medicine abuse will not touch your child.

And keep Steve’s words of wisdom at the ready. Trust but verify.

We are using the hashtag #NotMyTeen all this month to empower parents to be sure it’s NOT their teen included in these numbers.

For more information and useful resources for parents, log onto www.stopmedicineabuse.org

This sponsored post is part of the #NotMyTeen campaign by the organization Stop Medicine Abuse, an initiative of the Consumer Health Products, in participation with National Medicine Abuse Prevention Month. All opinions are our own and we are proud to spread the word.

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Check out our books, “I Just Want to Be Alone” and “You Have Lipstick on Your Teeth.”

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