At some point, all parents wonder whether or not their teen is prepared to be left at home alone.
Some adults might think that good grades are an indicator that their child is ready to be more independent but there are many other factors to consider. That’s because being home alone can sometimes be a dangerous first step toward engaging in riskier behaviors.
If you’re trying to decide whether your teen is ready to stay at home unsupervised, make sure you consider all the factors.
Ensure Your Teen is Ready to be Home Alone
Teen Drug Use
When your teen has the house to himself, he’s more likely to experiment with alcohol and drugs. This is particularly true during the summer when kids have more freedom while their parents are at work. Statistics show a 25% increase in alcohol experimentation in the summer.
Marijuana and Your Teen
Studies have shown that 40% of kids between 12 and 17 will try marijuana for the first time during the months of May through August. That’s about 5,800 kids trying marijuana every day in the summer. Of course, this experimentation correlates with kids being left alone during the summer.
Illegal Drug Experimentation
Marijuana isn’t the only drug that kids experiment with during the summer. June and July are peak months for teens to use drugs of all kinds. Your teen is more susceptible to breaking the law when school’s out.
Have a Talk With Your Teen
Before you decide that your teen is ready to be left home alone, have a serious talk with her about your expectations. Educate them about the risks of drug use, which can include impaired decision-making abilities. Make sure that they know that you’re serious about not allowing experimentation with drugs and alcohol, and be clear about the repercussions if this rule is broken.
Stopping Teen Drug Use in the KC Metro
Test Smartly Labs can help educate parents, school administrators, and other community leaders concerned about teen drug use. We provide accurate and confidential drug and alcohol testing for teens, and we can test for marijuana, synthetics, prescription drugs, and other substances that teens often experiment with.
IF YOU ARE WORRIED THAT YOUR TEEN IS EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS, WE PROVIDE ACCURATE AND CONFIDENTIAL DRUG TESTING. CALL (816) 800-9699 OR CONTACT TEST SMARTLY LABSTODAY. YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT ANY OF OUR 4 KANSAS CITY AREA LOCATIONS.
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