Sunday with Eden | Sep 30,2023
Aug 3 , 2024
By Eden Sahle
Frequent power cuts have led my family to dine out more often. While trying new dishes in the city is our goal, we look for child-friendly, quiet places or those that offer meals in the car.
Teenagers on school break swarm the streets of Summit and Bole areas. For them, the evening seems like the start of a new day. They are open and free, talking and laughing loudly, some smoking, drinking and taking selfies under the new street lights.
In what I consider a pricey restaurant, most of the seats were taken by teenagers. One night, we saw young women approaching a vehicle playing loud music. After speaking briefly, they drove off with the adult men inside.
As parents, my husband and I were terrified. We prayed for our daughter on the spot. Our dinner, which was supposed to be a happy time, turned into a discussion on how we could shield our daughter from such influences.
We had many questions: Why do their parents let them go out at night? Do they know their whereabouts? Do they understand what they are sponsoring their children into? Do they worry about their children's behaviour?
Teenagers focus more on rewards and taking risks than adults. They demand freedom from their parents and prefer their peers as they explore their personalities.
Teens exposed to addictive substances put their health and safety at risk. Their brains are vulnerable to being rewired by drugs that overload the reward circuits. This is why parents should talk to their children about the lifetime consequences of their choices.
Many factors contribute to teens' wrong decisions: personality, family interactions, and reliance on peers. They often want to fit in with their friends, and a wrong circle can lead them astray. Their curiosity also compels them to try things with their peers. They assume nothing bad could happen to them and may not understand the short- and long-term effects of their actions.
Most parents wait too long to have important conversations, thinking their child is too young. By the time they try to equip their children, it will be too late.
Psychologists recommend open conversations with children about drugs and bad decisions. Instead of using scare tactics, discussing how these choices can affect their dreams, health, and appearance is helpful.
Filtering the content they watch on media that glamorizes drug use or reckless lifestyles is important. Teaching children how to resist peer pressure and turn down bad offers can save them from harm.
Parents should pay attention to their children's whereabouts, no matter how much they trust them. Educating children on volunteerism and internships can provide valuable skills and opportunities, helping them understand the real world and dream big.
Having family rules is vital. Inform children of rules such as not riding in strangers' cars and leaving situations that go against their values. Craft an escape plan to keep them safe in various settings. Consistently enforcing consequences when teens break the rules helps them stick to them.
Parents are the biggest influence in their children's lives. Teens may seem to pull away while seeking independence, but they still want their parents involved. Maintaining a consistent and strong bond can keep them from engaging in unhealthy behaviours.
PUBLISHED ON
Aug 03,2024 [ VOL
25 , NO
1266]
Sunday with Eden | Sep 30,2023
Agenda | Oct 28,2023
Agenda | May 23,2021
Radar | Nov 29,2025
Radar | May 15,2021
Commentaries | Jan 01,2022
My Opinion | Nov 04,2023
Commentaries | Feb 29,2020
Commentaries | Feb 19,2022
My Opinion | Mar 28,2026
Photo Gallery | 190177 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 179912 Views | Apr 26,2019
Photo Gallery | 176570 Views | Oct 06,2021
My Opinion | 142273 Views | Aug 14,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
When Parliament takes up the appropriation bill, federal legislators will receive a d...
Jun 13 , 2026
The recent policy decision to fully open freight forwarding to foreign capital may be...
Jun 6 , 2026
For a political veteran as controversial as Getachew Reda, last week's national elect...
May 30 , 2026
Tomorrow, millions of Ethiopians are expected to vote in the seventh national electio...
Jun 21 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE
Federal and regional authorities have spent months urging taxpayers to pay more into...
Jun 21 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
The fledgling capital market is producing the headline numbers its architects hoped f...
Jun 21 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Nightly "Z-report" summaries from physical cash registers are to be replaced by real...
Jun 21 , 2026 . By HELINA HADGU
In the fast-growing towns of South Ethiopia, the cost of progress is arriving one cor...
Loading your updates...