Parents: You Cannot Be Lazy

ABC News has a report on an interesting study about the results of asking kids about drugs. Previous studies have shown a pattern where asking about a negative behavior would lead to a decrease of the negative behavior. Likewise asking about a positive behavior would lead to an increase in the behavior. However a recent study by Gavin Fitzsimons, an associate professor at Duke University and an author of the report, found that asking about drug usage actually leads to an increase in drug use.

Near the end of the article Fitzsimons gives the bottom line for parents. Just asking one question and being satisfied with the answer is not enough. In fact it can lead to a big problem. Parents, we must not be lazy. We must not settle for the easy answer. As Fitzsimons points out parents must be willing to talk to their children "and engage in a dialogue about the pros and cons..." of drug use and of other wrong behaviors. That means we as parents must also have the courage to say that something is wrong even when society says otherwise.

Parents must also realize we cannot leave this to the schools. It is not the job of the school or of the government to teach morality. Home training should come from home and parents need to get back into the business of making sure kids have the right 'bringupsy.' That means putting aside selfishness and investing something other than money in your child's future.

Hat tip to Independent Conservative who discusses this article and mentions how moral relativism has influenced the results of this study by changing what is viewed as right and wrong. Make sure you read near the end where IC exposes the influence of pro-gay lobby and things like their heterosexual questionnaire.