Revisiting Eps 425: Setting boundaries around teen substance use with Brenda Zane

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

Brenda Zane is back this week!

She was on the podcast before (spring 2023) talking about how to be with teen substance abuse.

We had SUCH an amazing response to that conversation that Brenda and I thought it would be helpful to have her back to talk about “what do you do” for specific scenarios around our teens and substances that leave us feeling in the dark. Today we discuss how to set healthy boundaries around teen substance abuse while still maintaining a connected relationship with our teens.

Takeaways from the show

• Creating conditions for positive change in children, and the plant analogy.
• Why young people turn to substance use, including a desire to cope with emotional pain and shame.
• Setting boundaries around drug use
• The challenge of enforcing consequences
• The importance of addition over subtraction in facilitating change
• Have open and curious conversations with their teenagers about substance use, rather than resorting to shame or judgment
• The importance of building a positive relationship with children, focusing on mutual respect and influence rather than control or manipulation
• The "information sandwich" technique to discuss sensitive topics with teenagers
• How humor and modeling positive behavior are useful tools
• Focusing on boundaries and natural consequences, rather than reactive measures like drug testing and phone confiscation

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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