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America Confronts Disturbing Facts About Alcohol Use by
Children Ages 9 to 15
Leaders in education, government, public
health, law enforcement, and prevention tell us that the problem
of drinking in childhood — beverage alcohol use by 9- to 15-year-olds
— is serious in the U.S. and growing worse. The following
key statistics were revealed by the nationwide opinion leader poll
conducted by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for Leadership
to Keep Children Alcohol Free entitled “The Hidden Costs of
Childhood Drinking:”
78% of respondents said drinking by children
is a “very serious” problem in the U.S.;
74% of those polled responded that more
children are drinking alcohol at an earlier age compared to 10 years
ago; and
85% agreed that it was either “very
easy” or “somewhat easy” for children ages 9 to
15 to get access to alcohol.
In an effort to create a unified response
to the problem of childhood drinking, which costs the United States
an estimated $58 billion per year, RWJF and Leadership to Keep Children
Alcohol Free released the poll's key findings on September 19, outlining
respondents' recommended strategies for curbing this public health
concern.
Fathers do matter to daughters...
According to the National Center for
Fathering: "Recent studies have yielded some significant
insights about fathers' importance to their daughters. At a surprisingly
young age, girls begin to absorb society's expectations. As teens,
they become vulnerable to the popular messages that focus on their
bodies, their looks, and their independence. A University of Arizona
study found that 90% of all teenage girls were unhappy with their
weight. A parallel study noted that girls who are not affirmed
by their fathers are more likely to be promiscuous and less likely
to commit to "long-term relationships." If there was
any doubt about how much a father matters to a daughter, recent
studies prove they matter enormously.
Preparing
Your Child For Kindergarten
As a parent, you are your child’s most important
teacher. Above is a list of suggested activities to help prepare
your child for starting Kindergarten in the fall.
The NICHD Study of Early Child Care
has found that fathers who had high levels of self esteem were more
involved in caring for their children than were fathers with lower
self esteem. The study appears in the June issue of the Journal
of Family Psychology. The researchers also found that fathers were
more
involved in caregiving when they worked fewer hours than did other
fathers and when their children's mothers worked more hours than
did other children's mothers.
Yet another study on the
importance of spending time with your kids: Children whose
fathers spend time alone with them at least twice a week become
more compassionate adults. We talked the other day about how you're
investing in the lives of your kids for returns 10, 20 and 30 years
down the road. Well, compassion is only one of the many hundreds
of attributes gleaned by children when their dads care enough about
them to spend time with them. Don't ever underestimate your importance.
VISITATION TIPS
Visitation is something that every parent must manage. Here are
a few tips to assist smooth transitions:
1. Ask the court to order that the receiving
parent picks up. (Most
parents are motivated to be on time when receiving the child.)
2. If there is a history or concern of
violence, exchange at a neutral
public location such as a park. (Always bring someone with you
as a
witness.)
3. Consider asking the court to order
that either parent has the "first
right of refusal" when the other parent cannot watch the
child for an
extended period during their custodial time. (This gives you the
option
to be with your child before other alternatives are considered
for
extended childcare.)
4. If your court ordered visitation is
being denied by the other parent,
consider asking that the police meet you at the next exchange
time to
"keep the peace" because of concerns of potential domestic
violence.
Bring a certified copy of your court order with you that defines
your
visitation time. If the child is not made available, ask the police
to
write a report documenting the situation. These reports are very
helpful in proving contempt or obtaining custody modifications.
