View From Arada | Nov 02,2024
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]
View From Arada | Nov 02,2024
View From Arada | Jan 03,2021
Commentaries | Feb 29,2020
Radar | Aug 01,2020
Sunday with Eden | Apr 20,2024
Obituary | Jul 11,2021
Viewpoints | Nov 08,2025
Life Matters | Jan 01,2022
Commentaries | May 23,2020
Life Matters | May 31,2025
Photo Gallery | 185848 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 175887 Views | Apr 26,2019
Photo Gallery | 171443 Views | Oct 06,2021
My Opinion | 139404 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...
May 9 , 2026
The Ethiopian state appears to have discovered a fiscal instrument that is politicall...
May 2 , 2026
By the time Ethiopia's National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) reached the end of its fir...
Apr 25 , 2026
In a political community, official speeches show what governments want their citizens...
For much of the past three decades, Ethiopia occupied a familiar place in the Western...
May 9 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE
Finance Minister Ahmed Shide entered the last quarter of the fiscal year with a budge...
May 9 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE
At the Federal High Court's Lideta Division, on Dejazmach Bekele Weya Street, one of...
May 9 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Mayor Adanech Abiebie's cabinet has approved an additional 9.9 billion Br budget, a m...
May 9 , 2026 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
The fight over Cosmo Trading Plc has outgrown the courtroom where it began. What star...
Loading your updates...