I was absolutely floored last week when my son mentioned he’d given out his cell phone number on the internet. We’d recently had the conversation about the dangers lurking on the web when I presented a program on internet safety to our middle school — so my brain couldn’t wrap itself around the fact that he blatantly went against the number one rule in our house for using the internet: NO PERSONAL INFORMATION is to be given out for ANY reason!

I was furious. I raised my voice in a manner reserved for serious offenses and felt panic well up inside my body.  What would have possessed him to be so careless?  What part of “grooming” (a term we’d discussed) did he not understand? (Grooming is when a predator will pretend to be whatever sex or age he needs to be in order to lure a child into trusting him so the child will reveal personal information.)  I took a deep breath and sat my son down for a long talk about how serious this situation could be.

This time, I was very specific about what can happen when personal information is revealed to someone he doesn’t know.  He was in a popular game room for younger children and told me he knew this person was a girl his age from England.  I asked him, “How do you know she is from England?”

“She told me she is.  She gave me her phone number too.”

“You didn’t call or text her, did you?”

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Tara Paterson | 3 Comment(s)
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Did anyone else notice there were quite a few more drug and alcohol references at Sunday night’s Golden Globes than in years past? Here are a few I picked up on:

* Former party boy Colin Farrell while presenting an award, sniffed a few times and said, “I have a cold. It’s not the other thing. It used to be.”

* Ricky Gervais from “The Office” drank a beer on stage while presenting “Happy-Go-Lucky.”

* Presenter Sandra Bullock, when listing James Franco for his performance in “Pineapple Express” as a nominee for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy, mentioned how fun it must have been to rehearse for this stoner film.

* While presenting, “Pineapple Express” star Seth Rogen continued with the drug references by commenting, “I wish I got to do this a long time ago, in a different era in Hollywood. Maybe in the ’80s. That way instead of being drunk with Mickey Rourke tonight I’d be doing cocaine with Mickey Rourke tonight.”

* In the acceptance speech for best picture for “Slumdog Millionaire,” Producer Christian Colson mentioned he’d drunk three martinis.

* And it doesn’t stop there. From stumbling over lines, slurred speech and wobbly walking, many of the night’s presenters looked like they had knocked back a few too many.

* Heath Ledger won Best Supporting Actor in a Film for his role as The Joker in “The Dark Knight” — the year’s biggest success at the box office. And while it wasn’t said outright, it is important to remember that Heath Ledger died just about a year ago from overdosing on a mix of prescription drugs.

As parents, how do you feel about the way these celebrities handled themselves at this year’s award ceremony?

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 25 Comment(s)
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The Partnership produced 26 print ads last year. One of them in particular seems to really be resonating with parents lately. It’s called How to talk to your kids about drugs if you did drugs. The fact that you’ve had experience may actually be an advantage.

Everyone knows I talk a lot. And like most parents, I try to impart my worldly experience and infinite wisdom to my offspring…which usually results in a lot of blabbing. But when I do stop, sit back and bite my tongue, amazing things happen. My girls actually open up. (Of course, this isn’t always the case — things like timing, mood, hunger-level, among other things, play a role.)

Turns out there’s quite a lot on their teenage minds, not excluding the topic of substance abuse. I find that when I give them the chance to vent, it’s often hard to get them to stop. But no matter what, it’s always enlightening.

For me this ad is an important reminder to not only talk to my kids about drugs, but to keep asking questions and really tune into the answers.

Take a look at the ad and tell us — which part speaks to you?  We’re all ears.

P.S. If you’re just starting talking to your kids about drugs and alcohol with your child, visit Time To Talk and our Parent Toolkit for some helpful tips and advice.

If you think (or know) your child is drinking or using drugs, visit our brand-new site Time To Act. There are even specific tips for parents on how to listen.

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 1 Comment(s)
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