We asked Jim Polk, who fills many roles at a major high school in Texas, for some tips. In education, we are shifting away from identifying risk factors to trying to identify resiliency factors. Researchers have found certain common traits in kids who succeed in spite of problems in their lives. Home and parents have everything to do with kids standing up and succeeding in the face of peer pressure. Polk named some of the personal resiliency builders that help protect young people from harmful influences.
Parents are primary in imparting the warm family atmosphere that promotes such development.
Teachers and coaches, Sunday school teachers, and grandparents can provide the same connections and feedback. But we must convey to our children that we want them eating with us, spending time with us. In fact, one researcher found a direct correlation between families that eat meals together and teens who were able to resist drug abuse. Parents help teens to focus on their strengths when they give children a verbal handle on their skills. I notice that you really put a lot of time into practicing your guitar.