Preschool

Since the foundation for all healthy habits — from nutritious eating to face washing — is laid down during the preschool years, they are a great time to set the stage for a drug-free life.  The following three tips will help you work with your preschooler so that she'll grow up happy, healthy and drug-free.

Talk to your child about the joys of healthy living. Discuss how good you feel when you take care of yourself — how you can run, jump, play and work for many hours.  A great conversation starter:   "I'm glad I'm healthy because I can…"

Celebrate your child's decision-making skills.  Whenever possible, let your child choose what to wear.   Even if the clothes don't quite match, you are reinforcing your child's ability to make decisions.

Stress the need for your child to take personal responsibility for his own health, well-being and personal environment. Your instructions should be concrete, relate to your child's experiences, and stated positively.  Turn chores like brushing teeth, putting away toys, wiping up spills, and caring for pets into fun experiences that your child will enjoy. Break the activities down into manageable steps so that your child learns to develop plans.

Preschool Scenario

Giving your child a daily vitamin.

What to Say

Vitamins help your body grow.  You need to take them every day so that you’ll grow up big and strong like Mommy and Daddy—but you should only take what I give you.  Too many vitamins can hurt your body and make you sick.

Scenario

Your kids are curious about medicine bottles around the house.

What to Say

You should only take medicines that have your name on them or that your doctor has chosen just for you.  If you take medicine that belongs to somebody else, it could be dangerous and make you sick.

Scenario

Your child sees an adult smoking and, since you’ve talked about the dangers of smoking, is confused.  

What to Say

Grown-ups can make their own decisions, and sometimes those decisions aren’t the best for their bodies.  Sometimes, when someone starts smoking, his or her body feels like it has to have cigarettes—