RESILIENCE IN A TIME OF WAR:
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS OF HIGH SCHOOL SCHOOL STUDENTS

       ·          Seize the opportunity to teach your teens that substance use is never a healthy response to stress.  Be vigilant in your awareness
            concerning signs of substance use.  Research prevention information. Get prepared for, then set aside, actual time to teach substance abuse
            prevention methods to your teens. 

·          Talk with your teens whenever, wherever, you can. Answer their questions honestly but with reassurance. Ask them their opinions and listen to their answers. Don't discount their feelings. Encourage them to avoid generalities, and be honest about your own feelings, but leave your children with messages of hope and encouragement.

·          Make your home a safe place emotionally for your teens. Home should be a haven.  Provide lots of family time for them.  Set aside family time that includes their friends.

·          Map out a routine and stick to it. Remember that most teens still want home to remain unchanged, and your teen may be even less able to handle change at home when the world situation is unstable.

·          Encourage your teens to take "news breaks." Constant exposure to war coverage can heighten anxiety. They may want to stay informed, but try to limit the amount of news they take in. When you do watch the news, use it as a catalyst for discussion with your teens about their feelings and fears.

·          Realize that the stresses of war may heighten daily stresses. Many teens are already feeling extreme highs and lows because of hormonal levels in their bodies; the uncertainty during a time of war can make these shifts seem more extreme. Be understanding but firm when teens respond to stress with angry or sullen behavior. Reassure them that you just expect them to do their best.

·          Make sure you take care of yourself. If you don't, you may have less patience and creativity to deal with the situation at hand.  Many people find that turning to a higher power, whether through organized religion or privately, can help. Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your teen.

·          Engage your teens in planning your emergency strategy and go over what each family member will do in different scenarios. What happens if a military emergency occurs while they are at school versus at home? What should happen if your teen is out driving during a military emergency?

·          Enlist your teens' help.  Include them in your volunteer activities, or encourage them to volunteer on their own for something that has meaning for them. If your teens know that they have a role to play and that they can help someone less fortunate, they will feel more in control and more confident.

·          If they have family or friends in the military obtain as much information as you can about where that person will be, how long they'll be gone, and how often they'll be able to contact your teens.

·          Watch your teens for signs of fear and anxiety they may not be able to put into words. Have their grades suddenly dropped? Are they unusually sullen or withdrawn? Encourage them to use journaling or art to express their fears.

·          Put things in a positive perspective for your teens. Remind them that wars end. Point out times when they have faced up to and conquered something frightening. Point out the important things that have stayed the same, even while the outside world is changing. When you talk about bad times, make sure you talk about good things as well. Teach your teens relaxation techniques such as thinking positive thoughts or using music to relax in a time of stress.

The UPSTATE CENTER for TRAUMA and PREVENTION RESOURCES (UCTPR)
“Tips for Parents and Teachers of High School Students” is part of the UCTPR Series
The Connection between Trauma and Substance Use, Abuse and Addiction
a program of the Council on Alcoholism and other Chemical Dependencies of the Finger Lakes.
Funding for this project was provided by the NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
under a grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of SAMHSA.
Material was adapted from the American Psychological Association.
For more information, visit the webpage at:  www.trauma-and-alcoholism.com.