Today, everything seems to be more expensive than ever. We’ve seen a huge increase in prices at the grocery store over the past few years, and for most families, we are beginning to feel the impact of these changes on our finances at home. This month, we will address adequate household income, a protective factor for youth substance use. As we have discussed before, protective factors are factors present in youth’s lives that make them less likely to use substances. Research tells us that growing up in a home with an adequate household income puts our children at a lower risk for using substances.
Let’s start by talking about the why. I feel like this is such a complex issue and emotional issue for so many parents because most are truly doing their best, and still sometimes struggle financially. Often, when families are struggling financially this stress is felt in multiple ways in the family. The inability to afford quality childcare or a single mom having to work a 2nd part time job are both situations that could lead to children spending more time unsupervised, which we know is a risk factor for substance use from our previous blogs. Children who are left unsupervised also often struggle with academics because there is no one at home to help them with their homework or make sure they study for their math test, and we also know that struggling academically is another risk factor for substance use. Perhaps in some families supervision isn’t an issue, but the income restrictions prevent the children of the family from being involved in extracurricular activities or being involved with school. Inadequate income also places stress on the parents which could lead to family conflict and/or parental substance use, which are also risk factors for substance use.
So, what can we do about it? I want to remind you of the concept that these risk and protective factors are predictive not prescriptive. That means that just because a child has a lot of risk factors for substance use, doesn’t mean they will use substances. Also, what we can predict, we can prevent. Most children and families have some risk factors for substance use, and there are risk factors that we can’t change for our children, even if we would like to. So, what can you do? You can work as a parent to increase the protective factors in your child’s life. Adequate income may be attainable through schooling, certificate programs, or trade school. Explore your options and remember it’s okay to put yourself first for a little while if it will help better the life of your family in the long run. However, having adequate income may not be attainable for you right now, and that is okay. There are still things you can do to help protect your children, without letting your financial situation get in the way. I encourage you to explore what ways you can increase protective factors in your child’s life, and it may take some creativity with limited finances, but it is possible! Check out after school programs like Boys and Girls Club or the Wheatley Tutoring Program. These are both programs that provide a safe place for your child to go while you are at work, and they offer help with homework, tutoring, and even teach skills! You can’t afford to put your child in gymnastics classes? That’s okay! Let them try something else like joining the local 4H club or playing in a public soccer or baseball league. Maybe they could join a school club that interests them or a church youth group… These are all much more inexpensive options that will still allow your child to learn skills, find opportunities to belong, make friends, and find positive role models. If your child is struggling in school, there are lots of free options to get them the help they need without having to hire a private tutor. Talk to your child’s teacher to see if the school offers any tutoring and check out the local Library, who may offer free tutoring too! Another protective factor that doesn’t cost anything is teaching your child new skills. As an adult, you know how to do lots of things that your child may not know yet. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening, budgeting, working on cars, couponing, and so many more. These are all skills you could teach your child for free! You may even find that by teaching them these skills you can pass off some household responsibilities and decrease your stress level in the home. If you are a parent to a teenager, you can also encourage your child to get a part time job! This may help alleviate some of your stress as they begin to be able to pay for some things on their own, and they are also gaining valuable life skills they will need after they leave your home.
In summary, adequate household income is a protective factor for many reasons. If adequate income is something your family struggles with there are many things you can do as a parent to increase the protective factors in your child’s life to help protect them from substance use. Adulting is hard, and parenting can be messy. Remember to give yourself grace, and that it is okay to just do the best you can.
During our Life Skills classes with High School students, we do an activity with the kids by choosing a popular song off the radio and having them listen and highlight every reference to substance use in a copy of the lyrics. The kids are always shocked to see just how many references a popular song has to using substances. I challenge you, tonight when you are watching your favorite show, count how many references there are to drugs or alcohol throughout the show. I think you will be surprised to find that these references are so prevalent among the media we consume that most of the time we don’t even notice them anymore. As adults, our brains are fully developed, and we can rationally think about these television shows and songs on the radio and know that even though it may seem that everyone is using substances, that is not true. However, for many young people, their brains have not yet developed this skill. So, when they see all the adults on TV going to the bar and drinking after work, in their minds, this has become a reality for them, and this must be what all adults do.
It is easy to see in today’s culture how the media plays such a vital role in portraying substance use and how it is often overemphasized and does not paint a realistic picture of how many adults use substances. So, what can we do about it? Ultimately the very best thing we can do for our children is to talk to them about the realities of substance use and set a good example by creating positive norms in our household. It is important that we