Vacation time is also NIX18

All schools are closed and so every student in the country has a holiday. That means relaxing and enjoying the sun, sea, beach, BBQ, meeting new people and staying up late. And everyone knows: the temptation is great to push boundaries on holiday. Drinking a beer or wine or smoking a (e-)cigarette is quickly exciting. How do you deal with this as a parent?

Almost everyone knows NIX18. This law means that young people under the age of 18 are not allowed to buy and/or use alcohol or tobacco. Yet the temptation is great for many to do it. Especially on vacation. We have listed some tips for you to help you as a parent how to deal with this.

Talking to your child about his alcohol use helps

- Raise the subject regularly. Talk about it while doing the dishes or while you're in the car. Ask about your child's and his or her friends' alcohol use.

-Take a topical issue from the news around the theme of alcohol and use it as a reason for your conversation.

- Make sure you are well prepared for a conversation. So know what you are talking about when you say that alcohol is particularly harmful to young people. Here you will find more information about alcohol and its effect on young people.

-Keep in touch with your child (monitoring), know what he/she is doing and with whom.

-A disapproving attitude towards alcohol has a protective factor. This sends out the signal that drinking alcohol is not good.

Does your child drink on holiday?

If your child does drink on holiday, it is important to talk to your child about what he has done, how he feels about it and what he can do to restore trust in you. Also show understanding for his situation and remember that he may also regret it. Let him calmly explain what he did that night and why he drank so much. Also try to find out if he drinks (a lot) more often.

In addition, it is good to ask your child what and how much he has drunk. He may not remember exactly, but let him estimate. The number may not be too bad, because he is probably not used to drinking and may not be that big yet. These are factors that make someone more likely to become under the influence. For children, one or two glasses are sometimes too much. Source: step.nl.

It keyword so here it is: communication!