Dry February: How to talk to children about alcohol?

In the únoru probíhá already desátý of the annual traditional Dry ú campaign;Nor, whichá helpsá široké the public to examine itsá relationship to alcohol and change establishedá ná practices. Lastéyearéyearéupéto& 9%&of&the&adulté population&each&year&according&to&surveys. Even the Polytechnicá šcolleges of Jihlava joined the campaign last year and supports it aboveále. We are presenting the first of a series of thematic articles, this time focused on parenting.

The book Dry únor, whichá presents alcohol in all its socialýrolesá on 416 carefully distilledýpages, is partáof&a campaign&to&educate&aware&of&the&relationship&with&alcohol. Hockey player Patrik Barto&scaroná, psychologist Pavel Rataj or Ilona Preslová, writer Josef Formá, primá Petr Popov, coach Janka Chudlá, zá chraná Honza or musician Petr Fiala are among the 72 Czechý;personalities, experts, journalists and extraordinary human stories that have given rise to a book that in 28 chapters presents alcohol with ease and in all its social roles. Whether it is sleep, sex, sport, work, child rearing, health or drinking and driving.

Ourše book of vás teetotalers doesná – tí it doesná t&even itsím cílem.M  Má bý t people before&scaron& í inspireí toá gentleé self-reflection, and we can learn a lot. Not only about alcoproblematics, but especially about ourselves. The book má the onlyý cíl – so that we inšich know the honest answer to a simple question: „Do we control alcohol, or does alcohol control us?“ describes the purpose of the book Petr Freimann, director of the non-profit organization Suchej únor, on whose pages it is possible to buy the book and support the campaign financially.

With children about alcohol - not just in únor

„Parents with theirálife, behaviouráním and attitudes giveání childrenán´guides on how to behave in differentásituations;behave, what to do, what is spráé,” saidá&dí in an interview about alcohol and parentingí psychologist Ilona Preslová. According to the experts, the key is not what we tell our children about alcohol, but how we behave ourselves in relation to it. Thus, if we show children that alcohol is one of the first „helpers″ in moments of &crisis, as well as an essential partá of everyé celebration (which, according to Preslové reinforces, for example, theáná underá of non-alcoholic beer to minors), weállá developá patterns that children are likely to follow into adulthood. Nor does the fact that up to a fifth of parents tell their children that alcohol „does„not&prim&either&or&do¬&talk&about&it&at&all. Oná theá level, according to a survey by the Ministry of Healthá and Suchá up to a quarter of allá minorsá have tastedá alcohol firstá from theirá parents.

In the spirit of the výhabits of the Dry únor, itsímž cílem not´ to achieve úfullé abstinence, nýbut to overcome oneself and tryšet the role of alcohol in thešin our lives, so we will also offer a smallé parentingé nine for those parents who would like to help their children rádi their relationship with alcohol in a healthy and mírous way:

• Communicate about alcohol - openly and without moralizing.

• Agree on clear (non)drinking rules and insist on following them.

• Respect the need for privacyí. Trust but verify!

• Ask childrení about their názory to alcohol.

• Inform - truthfully and factually - about the úfactorsí of alcohol.

• Don't&scaronšuate.

• Donátádream of alcohol as the elixíru of life.

• Support childrenís ability to say “no” - not just to alcohol.

• „Mom, Dad, did you drink when you were mém age?“ Don't lie, but don't overdramatize it either.

Informationí about childrení and adultsí relationship to alcohol, alcohol in the family, or how theiré blízké to support them in the event that they drink overá a healthy mí hand, can be found in the book Dry ú nor.

We offer the opportunity to lend the book  Dry ú& nor – 28 Reasons to Taste the Purebred Life to students, staff and alumni. To find out how, just contact us at suchejunor@vspj.cz. However, we recommend that you bring enougháliš notáyears. The book, whichá on 416á pages presents alcohol in its variousá socialá roles, isá available toá us only in oneá print. In rámce of support for the campaign, you can order your ownýprint HERE.