Family Day is a national initiative created by CASAColumbia to promote simple acts of parental engagement as key ways to help prevent risky substance use in children and teens.
What started out in 2001 as a grassroots initiative to inform parents about all the benefits of frequent family dinners, has grown into a national movement that is supported by a network of partners and sponsors across the country.
Family Day has evolved and expanded to reflect how important it is to connect with your kids at various times throughout the day including while driving your kids to soccer practice, tucking little ones into bed or having frequent family dinners.
These every day activities have a lasting effect on your children. Each of these moments offers an opportunity to communicate with your kids and to really listen to what’s on their mind.
As children age, it is vital to keep those lines of communication open, especially during adolescence when they are at risk of engaging in risky behavior including smoking, drinking or using drugs.
At CASAColumbia we know that:
- Adolescence is the critical period for the initiation of risky substance use and its consequences.
- Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18.
- Addiction is a disease that in most cases begins in adolescence so preventing or delaying teens from using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs for as long as possible is crucial to their health and safety.
While there are no silver bullets – addiction can strike any family regardless of ethnicity, affluence, age or gender – parental engagement can be a simple, effective tool to help you prevent substance use in your kids.
Make every day Family Day in your home!
Here are some tips for how to stay involved in your kids’ lives:
- Be ready to share and listen to them, which could be at any time throughout your day.
- Pencil in regular family activities such as having game nights, going biking or volunteering together.
- Get to know your kids’ friends, teachers, coaches and other people who play an important role in their lives.
- Talk to your pediatrician to make sure they are screening your children to prevent risky substance use and/or behavior.
To learn more about Family Day, visit www.CASAFamilyDay.org and find us on Facebook and Twitter.
