Did you know that if you were really worried about whether or not your teen might be on drugs, you can do more than threaten them and pray to God that they don’t overdose? Good news, right? Because in the past those were basically the only two options parents had.
But now, there is a service available for hire; a handler can now bring their drug-sniffing dog to your home and search for the scent of illegal drugs. Sound crazy? It's not. Parents are REALLY doing this.
I kind of get it, too. I’m not the "wait and see" type of mom myself. I’ve got a little too much helicopter in me to wait around for my kid to OD to not swoop in and save them. I’d like to stop them from making the stupid mistake in the first place. Sometimes we’ve got to save them from themselves. And hey, if that means letting the dogs out, so be it.
The truth is, I would do whatever it took to make sure my child was safe, including invading their privacy and even breaching our trust. That's my job. After all, given the choice between my daughter dying or being pissed at me, I’ll take the latter.
Of course, I would do it behind their back. If they were clean, they would never need to know I questioned them, and if not, well then, at least we are all on the same page.
I still remember my teen years and I did a lot of dangerous stuff. I wasn’t scared then. It was exhilarating and I felt invincible, but now I know better. I don’t want to raise kids who are afraid to experience life and have fun, but I want them to be cautious in some areas. So I will teach them the best I can, allow them to experience as much as life as they can, but at the same time, I will be there behind the scenes to give gentle nudges in the right direction. If that means a drug-sniffing dog, then so be it. I’m in.
I think of it as proactive parenting.
Would you bring a drug-sniffing dog in to search your house if you suspected that your child might be indulging in drug use?
Image via a4gpa/Flickr
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Comments 9
How about just having a conversation with your children about drugs (not accusing them but just discussing it) instead of automatically assuming guilt, especially if there isn't a reason to. besides...even the most authoritarian parents that have extremely strict guidelines, let me just say their kids are usually the most rebellious and have the biggest drug habits....it's that whole "well If i'm going to be accused of it, may as well do it!" mentality
My dh didn't have a door to his room most of the time growing up. But he was the kid who have his parents hell. I have no doubt they would have brought a dog in if it were an option. It might have saved him a lot of trouble in his teen years. Then again we may not have met if such had happened.
If you are willing. no eager, to do this behind your kid's backs - particularly as a first line of action - then you are already a failure as a parent.
Sometimes I wonder if doing things like this breeds rebellion. I was a good kid. I did a few dumb things but nothing dangerous. BUT if my parents had done any of this crap, I would've said fuck it and done whatever I wanted. I resent having my privacy disregarded that much. My parents respected my privacy and requests. So I respected their rules. If they had brough a drug dog into my bedroom, they wouldn't have found anything. But there sure as hell would've been something there later, after that level of disrespect.
Well... First off you don't need a dog to know if your kid is on drugs. Whatever happened to common sense? Do people even take the time to get to know their children as they are growing up? Any parent who pays attention to a child while they are growing up should notice the development of the child's personality and daily habits. When they change for no reason, then chances are they are on drugs. A few common signs are the need for extra cash but no reason for why they need it. Selling personal items or personal items you bought them vanish from their room. This shows the child attempt into either trading or selling to supply themselves with the fix. How do you fix this? First off in a child's eyes their aged peers are more important to them then your opinion. No matters how much you try and express your concern you are the bad guy. Best to catch this before they start and snuff it before they know the effect, but when you can't the next best thing to do, is discuss this issue with the parents of the kids or teens you kids hang out with, this way they can also step in and prevent the actions between your their child and yours and the problem will slowly solve itself, before they become an adult and the medium ground is sealed.