Holiday Celebration Tips December 15, 2009

     With the holidays just around the corner, we have to be careful with what happens around us especially where our youth are involved. The holiday season increases underage drinking. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently abused substance among young adults. In 2008, The Youth Risky Behavior Surveillance System, reported that out of a student sample size of 1,241 students in 9-12 grades, 38.0% of females and 35.4% of males said that they were currently using alcohol. Holiday parties make it more accessible for the youth to get alcohol and drugs.

     Alcohol poisoning is also a high risk during this time of the year. Left over cocktails are objects for the youth to explore. Youth like to pretend to be adults. They may do this by simply taking a drink out of an adult’s cup.

     If you will have events where alcohol will be served, find a reliable babysitter who will keep your children at their home or in certain areas of your home. Establish and maintain good communication with your child. Let them know what you expect of them at holiday parties. Make clear rules and enforce them with consequences.

     Other tips include pouring out all alcoholic beverages that are left behind. Place them where your children can not find or reach them. Instead of offering alcoholic beverages, serve virgin drinks instead. Establish transportation options for guest who may drink too much. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 50 percent of all deadly car crashes that take place during the holiday season involve alcohol.

     Let your children know the truth about underage drinking. Alcohol is just as harmful as other drugs. People who begin drinking by age 15 are five times more likely to abuse or become dependent on alcohol than those who began dinking after age 20. During 2007 and 2008, Chesterfield County Student Survey stated that 31% of students had tried alcohol within the 6 months of the survey. 20.8% of females and 29.6% of males had drunk alcohol before age 13. Teach your child how to say no to drugs and feel comfortable while doing that. Hopefully, they will not become a statistic. Most importantly, be a role model for your children.

                For more information or tips on how to celebrate your holidays, contact Chesterfield County Coordinating Council at 843-623-5265 or email ccccwhitneyf@shtc.net.

Who Will Be Invited to Your Teen’s Next Party? December 15, 2009

As we approach the holidays we should think about who will be invited to our teen’s functions. It sounds like a simple task and you may think you know who is invited but in reality, teens switch friend’s everyday.

Here are a few tips for parents whose teens will be inviting their friends to their gatherings:

• Ask questions. Ask your teens if they really know who their friends are? Do you or do they know what they do in their spare time? Have you or your teens ever visited their friends outside of work or school? Have either one of you ever been to their house? These may be different people than you really know. People often show us what they want us to see.
• Make a list. Go over your teen’s list of friends with them. Have some of your teen’s friends been associated with alcohol or drugs? Do they smoke? Have they ever been arrested for underage drinking, possession of drugs or for trying to buy cigarettes? Discuss how each person will blend with everyone else. Make sure that no one is being invited who drinks alcohol or uses any type of drug or have a history with either.
• Be aware of drugs and alcohol. Alcohol and other drugs usually make people do things that they would not normally do. It works as a depressant, slowing the brain’s functions. A person could go from being the nicest person that one has ever met to sweating, having impaired coordination and things, and vomiting. You definitely would not want to be responsible for their actions especially if they were involved in a fight or car accident. Your teen would not want to be associated with this type of behavior and would be very embarrassed. Having a secure place for everyone to store their valuables as soon as they arrive is also a good idea.
• Double check yourself. Make sure you know who your children are hanging out with. If their friends have bad grades, are often involved in trouble or are involved in a lot of drama, these may be children who are negative influences. They are more likely to make mischief while everyone else is looking for fun.

                For more information or tips on how to talk to your kids about their friends or how to control who your children invite to teen gatherings especially during the holidays, contact Chesterfield County Coordinating Council at 843-623-5265 or email ccccwhitneyf@shtc.net.

An Invitation to All Stars Graduation December 2, 2009

All Stars graduation will be on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at New Heights Middle School in Jefferson, SC. The speaker for this event will be the Chesterfield County Sheriff. The event will begin at 5:30 PM. Spread the news! Join us in celebration of our youth!

Fall Fashion and Underage Drinking November 23, 2009

 By: Tracey Williamson

 

The fall season means cooler weather, great fashions, and the beginning of festive holiday parties. It also means underage drinking and the risks that are associated with this illegal offense.

Did you know that the earlier a youth begins drinking, the more it increases their chances of alcohol dependency? Girls ages 12 through 18 who have been physically or sexually abused are more than twice as likely as non-abused girls to report smoking (26% versus 10%), drinking (22% versus 12%), and using illegal drugs (30% versus 13%). Also, binge drinkers between 12-17 years of age are three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than other students. 

Please use the upcoming festive time of year to talk with your young person on the dangers and risks associated with underage drinking. For more information on ways to talk with your youth you may contact Chesterfield County Coordinating Council at 843-623-5265 or email ccccwhitneyf@shtc.net.

Information sources: SCCADVASA and www.kidhealth.org.

Meet and Greet with Chesterfield County Coordinating Council October 29, 2009

     What’s going on with the Chesterfield County Coordinating Council? They are definitely on a roll! CCCC has added a new member to their team, myself, Ms. Whitney Fountain. I am a recent graduate of Coastal Carolina University.

     Why was I interested in the Youth Development Coalition? I heard about the job opportunity through a friend of the family and I immediately applied. The more that I learned about the CCCC, the more I wanted to get in and help. My role is to work with the Youth Development Coalition to prevent risky behaviors: underage drinking, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, just to name a few. I feel that the younger generation is our future. We must teach them what they should know to make their future brighter. It is important to me that I change a young person’s life by letting them know what it is like to have been a teen not too long ago. There is a lot of peer pressure out there and the younger generation needs to know how to face these situations. Not only must we reach out to the younger generation but we also must reach out to the influential people in their lives whether it may be a parent, minister or someone who does not even know that they are an influence.

     If you agree with me, then you will be interested in the Chesterfield County Youth Development Coalition. This is a specific group that was established to address risky behaviors among our youth. Would you love to see the youth in the community make good decisions? Would you love to have a stronger community? If so, come join this organization. Come work with us to get the youth involved in positive, organized activities. Empower our youth by teaching them about alcohol, drugs and other factors that are heavily influenced in today’s society. Also, encourage family members and members of the community to get more involved and work with our youth. There are meetings on every Third Tuesday of the month in the DSS Commons Room in Chesterfield at 3:30 PM. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you.

     In the words of Diogenes, “The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.” Remind yourself of this each time you see a young person. For more information, contact CCCC at 843-623-5265 or email ccccwhitneyf@shtc.net.

SC Campaign’s Teen Expressions 2009 February 19, 2009

The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is holding the 2009 Teen Expressions contest. Anyone from ages 14-18 may enter their artwork, poetry, song lyrics, personal essay or short fiction relating to the three topics.

For more information and entry forms visit the site – Teen Expressions

Cafe YDC – Chesterfield February 11, 2009

We’re having another Cafe YDC!

 

This Cafe will be held at the Chesterfield Library located on Main Street in Chesterfield.

 

The Cafe in Cheraw was such a great success we wanted to give those in the Chesterfield community the same opportunity to come together and have conversations that matter. The focus of the conversations will be youth and the role adults in the community play in their lives.

 

Come, bring your opinions, ideas and wisdom to the table, and bring a friend!

 

Click on the link below for a flyer with more information.

 

Cafe Flyer

Local Event Coming up in Cheraw January 27, 2009

Passion for Leadership Symposium 2009

“Equipping Effective Leaders for Kingdom Building”

February 5th – February 7th

Click on the link below for more information and registration forms.

www.stpaulcheraw.org

 

Adolescent Brain; A work in progress January 26, 2009

“Teens, through their choices and actions, have the power to direct the development of their own brains” says Dr. Jay Giedd, National Institute of Mental Health.  There are more questions than answers when it comes to how the brain develops and what affects the development, but the common statement is that the adolescent brain is a work in progress.  Scientists do know that the brain does not complete its physical growth until after the age of 24.  Up until that age the brain goes through bursts of growth and maturing.

When learning new things or doing new activities, new “neural connections” are made in the brain often referred to as “wiring”.  Only 40% of our neurons are “wired” at birth, and the other 60% are waiting to be stimulated by our learning and experiences.    The brain becomes more mature through the connecting or “wiring” of brain cells and through the pruning away of connections that are not needed.  Dr. Giedd refers to this as the “use it or lose it principle”.  “If a teen is doing music or sports or academics, those are the cells and connections that will be hardwired. If they’re lying on the couch or playing video games or MTV, those are the cells and connections that are going to survive.”

It’s important to provide adolescents with opportunities to make decisions.  Adults that are present during decision-making can help young people work through the process of weighing the alternatives and considering consequences among options.  Their brains are suited for adolescence, but they need the guidance from adults to help them prepare for and reach adulthood with the proper skills. 

Adult Responsibility January 21, 2009

The word “teenager” alone comes with so many negative views of someone rebellious, irresponsible and disrespectful.  Is this the way adults see all young people?  Adults are quick to point out the trouble that young people get into; the drugs, drinking, teen pregnancies.  What role do the adults play in these behaviors?  It’s time adults took on some responsibility whether it’s as a parent, teacher, aunt/uncle, or just a friend.  Adults often do not realize the level of impact their values and opinions have on young people. 

It’s true that friends play a large part in the lives of children, but ultimately they have to make decisions for themselves.  Adults need to talk to the young people in their lives to provide accurate information and personal beliefs and values to ensure they are aware of all options available to them when they are faced with difficult situations.  “Teens need to be surrounded by caring parents, adults, and institutions that help them learn specific skills and appropriate adult behavior (Findings from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy The Adolescent Brain).”

Adults everywhere have been asking young people why they do some of the things they do and the answer is usually, “I don’t know.”  Scientist say that the reason behind this could be that the part of the brain that is responsible for thinking, planning, good judgment, decision-making and impulse control, undergoes the most change during adolescent years.  It has been studied for years how the adolescent brain develops and the effects that the development has upon adolescents’ decision-making skills.  It’s not that they cannot make decisions on their own, but they learn how to rationalize situations as they mature.  Living as an example, adults can teach young people how to judge and weigh out all the options in situations and make healthier choices.