Uncomfortable Questions
You’re at the dinner table one night enjoying a family meal when suddenly your 14-year-old daughter asks, “Mom, did you ever do drugs?” After buying some time by taking a long gulp of water you need to answer. What do you say?
It’s getting hot in here… need a suggestion?Suggestion:
If you’ve never experimented with drugs, you can easily share the truth with your daughter and tell her your reasons for avoiding them.
However, if you have experimented with drugs in the past, this can still be an opportunity to share positive messages. Remember, if you lie and one day your daughter discovers the truth, your credibility will take a hit and you’ll have some explaining to do. If you choose to reveal your past experience, tell her what interested you about drugs in the first place, and why those interests were misguided. For example, “My friends used them, and I wanted to fit in,” or, “I didn’t know back then about all the bad things drugs can do to the body, to your future.” Let your children benefit from your experience.