It Started with Smoking Marijuana....

Not me. This isn't a story about me.

It's something I heard in my foster parent classes.

And something that has stuck with me since I heard it.

For any teen or adult that thinks marijuana is harmless,

I'd like to share with you the sad reality that can happen from smoking marijuana.

{which I pronounce mary-jo-ana...its the only way I can spell it correctly!}

During the course of our foster training classes

we heard from several different 'experts' in the field of CPS.

One particularly that I loved listening to was an attorney

that is assigned to represent the birth mothers.

She taught us about the laws but she also taught us from experience.

She reinforced being nonjudgmental towards them.

To mentor them. For some, they have never been mothered.

But she said for almost ALL....the birth mothers that were addicted to drugs

said that they all started with just smoking marijuana.

When they were teenagers. Thinking it was harmless

and that they would never do anything else.

Hearing that was profound for me.

I have never smoked marijuana.

Heck...I've never smoked a cigarette.

While I know some believe marijuana is harmless,

I believe it is just like kissing.

It will almost always lead to something more.

At some point. 

Maybe not initially.

Maybe not even in the first year.

But whenever you get comfortable with something....

your guard lets down a bit.

You become more desensitized and

then you find yourself slipping into trouble.

Trouble that you thought you would never be in.

Please share this with your teens. 

With your friends who have teens.

Pre-teens even.

Talk about the hard stuff with your children.

With your nieces and nephews.

Talk about drugs. Alcohol. Swearing. Talk about sex.

Talk about what to do in those situations.

Help give your kids some witty responses to

help them speak up when they are facing peer pressure.

Teach your children to make decisions before they go out about what they

will do if put in a position that might make them feel uncomfortable.

If it feels awkward to bring up, do it in a fun way.

Have a family night where you role play different topics

by pulling a scenario out of a hat!

We have talked to Kaia about all kinds of scenarios that could arise in high school.

She has already been in two situations that have caught her off-guard

but that she has spoken up at.

Both times, the other friend with her was too afraid to speak up.

Wasn't sure what to say.

But Kaia had a one-liner she could pull out of her pocket and she did.

For example, we have taught her that if she is ever in a car with someone driving unsafely,

especially a boy driver, who might be trying to show off,

say something to give them an excuse to drive safely.

Simply say....'hey, you've got precious cargo here!'

Or for boy to boy....

'hey, we don't want to be the first funerals our friends have to attend.'

Most teens will welcome the excuse to not have to show off while driving.

And guess what...that scenario has already happened to her.

She got into a car with a couple of boys and another girl. They were grabbing some dinner

in between musical rehearsals last year. Her girlfriend leaned over to Kaia and told her she had

a really bad feeling about this but didn't know what to say. Kaia quickly spoke up with....

'hey remember you have precious cargo in the backseat, please drive carefully'

and the whole atmosphere in the car changed to peaceful.

Had she not had a one-liner in her back pocket, 

I'm not sure she would have spoken up either.

We have a chance to help our children make good choices, stand up for good,

listen to their gut, empower them....they just need our help to know what to say.

It all started with marijuana

but it ends with talking to our children about EVERYTHING!