Preventing underage drinking requires more than “having the talk.”

We can’t sit our kids down and say, “Don’t drink until you’re of legal drinking age,” and leave it at that. It’s not that simple.

We also know that each child is different.

What works for one might not work for another. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for preventing underage drinking. For every parent, it’s a custom job, requiring the love, influence and experience only you have with your children.

This guide won’t preach.

It won’t prescribe a step-by-step plan for success. The goal is simply to offer some practical, ongoing strategies for having deeper, more meaningful conversations about alcohol with your children – no matter how old they are.

Let’s get started.

“There are times, many times, when a quiet, loving, reconnection with a child is more effective than a consequence or punishment.”
Holly Bennett and Teresa Pitman, Canadian authors and journalists for Today’s Parent Magazine.