About the Programme
Being a parent/caregiver is a rewarding, but tough job. Many parents and caregivers are concerned that their young people may make wrong choices about drugs. They want to do everything they can to help them make responsible decisions.
The DARE Foundation of New Zealand and the New Zealand Police have developed DARE to Support Your Kids. Workshops are designed to give parents and caregivers the skills and knowledge to do just that.
Why DARE to Support Your Kids?
This programme is designed for the parents/caregivers of young people within the 9-12 age group, the years for which the DARE to Make a Choice programme is offered.
Parents/caregivers will learn skills to help them support their young people as they begin to make responsible decisions about drug use. Parents/caregivers will be provided with current information about the pressures facing young people which may encourage drug use.
This information will empower parents/caregivers with the confidence and skills to build sound family relationships and to work together to establish guidelines to make responsible decisions about drugs.
In a Nutshell!
DARE to Support Your Kids assists parents/caregivers to:
- Clarify their own knowledge about common drugs which are of concern, and understand their effects.
- Be aware of the possible signs and the symptoms of drug use and misuse.
- Acquire skills to encourage and support young people as they start to make decisions about drugs, and to take responsibility for those decisions.
- Recognise drug related problems and identify agencies and individuals who can help these.
- Understand the importance of their own position as positive role models promoting healthy life styles and responsible decision making about drugs, within the law.
- Build sound relationships with their young people.
What will the workshops be like?
They will be:
- Organised by your local DARE Society and facilitated by locally trained people from your community.
- Held in your local area.
- Held at a time to suit you.
- Attended by parents/caregivers so participants can feel comfortable asking the questions you require answers to.
- Enjoyable.
- Value for money - reasonable cost, if any.
What will you learn?
You will be given information on the following:
- How to make your young person feel special.
- Effective communitcation within the family.
- Up to date, accurate drug information.
- How to get support and help with drug related problems.
- Building trust within the family.
- Negotiating family guidelines on the correct use of drugs.
- Being a good role model on the sensible use of drugs.
- Solving drug related problems.
Best of all the atmosphere will be a welcoming and informal one, where you receive the information you need, and also have the opportunity to share ideas and concepts with other parents and caregivers. Some schools, in cooperation with their local DARE Society, have decided to offer the DARE to Support Your Kids programme at the same time as students are involved in DARE to Make a Choice. This is proving particularly positive, especially when both parent/caregivers and students join together for the celebration event.