Parents
Research shows that children who have strong relationships with their parents are more likely to avoid substances or delay use. Delayed use is important to the developing brain. If our efforts can help a student and you, parents, prolong the age of first use, even by a few months, if not years, that can make a huge difference in the life of a person. The teenage brain is in a dynamic transition until the age of 22 to 27. Introducing any substance can shift the way brain connects and develops, which can have lifelong effects.
Parents and guardians are the first leaders in a young person's life. Our kids look to us for love, comfort, and guidance. As such, building strong, healthy relationships with our kids provides them with safe boundaries to explore their worlds and grow into empathetic, thoughtful, and resilient individuals. Children learn from what we teach them as well as observing our behaviors and mirroring them.
Listen to what the Youth have to say!
In 2020, we asked teens from Ouray and Ridgway what they wanted adults to know about teen mental health. Adults also got a chance to ask the panel anything. This panel was led by Helene Discoe, a Ridgway School counselor.
