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What is social competence in teens? Why is it important?

Susan Cumberland June 23, 2017

When kids reach their preteens or teenage years, as a parent, you may wonder how they are handling their new life circumstances. Are they making friends? Are they overwhelmed by school? What is their social life like? Social competence in teens is an important issue.

For those whose kids may be shy, or reluctant to make new friends, the fear of rejection and bullying may be ever more present.

But for the so-called ‘popular’ kids, what makes them so? Is it really their clothes and looks? Their high skill in sports? Their outgoing personality? Their grades? Their good hygiene?

Well, some are in fact saying their likability may have to do with social competence.

Humans are social beings. And so, the peer support system that our teens have around them is important. Yes, your kid may like being alone, playing video games, painting art, or perfecting their musical skill. But that doesn’t mean they won’t need social relationships later in life. Learning social competence as teens is just as important as any other skill, we would argue.

Articles can point to it’s ability to affect mental health in adulthood. And, the social experiences kids have can determine whether their mental health is ‘triggered’, according to the nature vs. nurture theory. So it goes without saying that healthy social skills, and the ability to form social support groups, can go a long way in a child’s future.

We should make note that while this may be a common topic among caregivers of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other neurodiverse conditions, it is surely not exclusive to that group. Many kids and teens may need help developing their social competence.

What is social competence in teens? Parents and teachers need to understand it before it can be taught!

As you do reading on this topic around the web, you’ll notice that the scale of ‘normal’ social ability can change over time, and in specific circumstances. If your child is just shy, you might have nothing to worry about. Maybe they prefer one-on-one relationships with a few close friends. That’s ok. Don’t expect that social competence should mean being captain of the rugby team, or student council president.

Researchers have put together some expected behaviours that can determine if a child is socially competent or not. They can do this with surveys like this one, or by asking parents. Here are some examples of publications that address the issue:

In general, you can see some patterns emerge, such as:

Being respectful of others’ opinions.
Ability to ask to join in on play, and being a contributor, rather than overtaking the game.
Following rules, such as in sports.
Being helpful and accommodating to others, while also not being ‘stepped on’ in the process.
Including others in games or activities.
Aiming to resolve conflict, rather than promote it.
Forming bonds with close friends.
Accepting differences, such as in culture, or other diversities that may appear in a classroom, for instance.
Having a sense of empathy, and emotional intelligence (which is related, but could go into another article on its own).

And so on. The opposite would be things like bullying, yelling, demanding, impulsive reactions, selfishness, or other characteristics we may associate with very young toddlers, who need to be taught that these are unacceptable social norms. Isolation and signs of depression can be symptoms of rejection in social situations, and as parents, we should be acutely aware of these signs. They may lead to bigger problems otherwise.

See related on our blog: How depression affects teens’ learning

Social competence can be learned!

As you can see, having the right social skills training while you’re young can help to promote positive relationships as an adult. This could affect work relationships, friendships and romantic relationships – all crucial aspects of ‘adulting.’

If you’re worried about your child, don’t be (at least not yet!). While you may feel that your teen is just ‘the way they are,’ it doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. There are ways of teaching social competence, which we hope to delve into in a future article. If you do feel there may be a deeper problem, we would suggest getting in touch with a therapist or behavioural expert who may be able to make a professional assessment.

4 interesting ways to encourage vocabulary development in young minds

Susan Cumberland June 16, 2017

Vocabulary development is an important part of learning. It can open up an understanding of the world that would otherwise be ‘closed’ to our students. Not only that, the more complex vocabulary a student can accumulate, the more they’ll be able to develop reading comprehension. But in today’s world of abbreviated text messages, our students may be lacking in vocabulary acquisition.

So today, we’ll be covering some ideas on how to encourage vocabulary development in young minds.

Method 1: Teach word origins to encourage vocabulary development

The reason word origins may be a good way to encourage vocabulary learning is because they can provide context and meaning to the words. The stories can be remembered more easily than words alone as mere ‘data.’

Word origins can also be fun, since they may sound funny without their backstory. They can also teach some history. And they can show kids how language develops. They may be using the dictionary as an authority on words. But word origin stories can show them that dictionaries are actually a reflection of how societies use language.

And, it can show them that all the slang they use today is rapidly developing the English language thanks to the Internet. In fact, it only took one 16-year-old to randomly use the phrase “on fleek,” which then became part of pop culture language. And this article explains the story of a courtroom that needed interpretation of many new words the boom of the Internet has created. So, imagine what English may sound like in 100, 200, 500 years?

Therefore, this lesson can also expand into etymology. Read more about language etymology, and get a list of word origins here.

Here is a resource on the origins of terms:

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-origins

Method 2: Teach kids word morphology to develop vocabulary

Related to our topic above about teaching word origins, you can also teach word morphology. This is when an old word takes on a new form. Or, when you add affixes or suffixes to a word to help it better relate to the context in which you are speaking. How do you turn a word into its past tense form? It’s plural form? Morphology, according to this article,

“Morphology is a critical element of successful vocabulary development and accurate decoding. …Subsequently, weakness in decoding and vocabulary skills is noted as a potent inhibitor to fully comprehending text.”

That sounds like something to pay attention to!

Here is a video on the meaning of morphology with some examples.

What is one word morphology example causing the world to raise an eyebrow? How about Donald Trump’s use of, “bigly”? According to this article, it’s actually a word!

Can your students identify other word-morphing happening in current events? Can they come up with their own? This can be a fun exercise to get kids using words, and being aware of their so-called ‘correct’ usage (which remember, is only dependent on how we all adapt to those morphologies!)

Method 3: Encourage kids to tell their own stories, so they use vocabulary in more sentences

Whether in written or spoken form, kids telling their own stories can help them use vocabulary, which in turn can help that vocabulary ‘stick.’ If they are telling a story verbally, such as a bedtime story, and they use a word, you can mention synonyms. Like the example in this article, if the child uses the word “buy,” you can introduce the word “purchase.”

This article also explains more reasons to encourage kids to tell their own stories:

4 Benefits of kids telling their own stories

Method 4: Use kids’ novel interests to develop vocabulary

Who says kids have to learn vocabulary ‘by the book’? They can pick up new words in many places, including their current obsessions. This can be part of teaching words as ‘related groups,’ according to this article. Anyone with a kid may notice that they go through ‘phases’ of novel interests. This month it may be insects. Next month it may be Star Wars. The month after it could be dinosaurs or cars.

You can use these opportunities to explore vocabulary with kids at home. Or as teachers, ask kids to do language arts assignments that are based on topics they choose. This can enhance their motivation for the work.

Take our article on the Maker education movement, for instance. If a kid is into electronics and ‘making’ things, they can start their vocabulary learning to name the objects they are working with. Often, those words can have meaning in different contexts later on. There can be crossover of language into different subjects or for different needs.

So let’s take the word “microprocessor.” What does “micro” mean? Remember word morphology above? Ok, so then, what is the opposite of “micro”? It’s “macro”!

Kids may learn to “tinker” with objects in a Maker education space. But then they’ll later be able to use that word when referencing something like “tinkering” with a recipe in the kitchen. And so on.

To conclude: vocabulary learning can be engaging and fun

There’s no need to rely on memorization and spelling bee contests alone for vocabulary enhancement. Use the 4 tips above to help kids get a hold of vocabulary they will enjoy learning. This will help with interactive methods as well, since the students can talk about their words while using them.

3 benefits of ‘slow reading’ as a learning method for comprehension

Susan Cumberland June 9, 2017

Reading, and knowing what you’re reading can be two different things. According to this exposing article, ACT examination results (used in the USA for college entry) are revealing that many high school students are not equipped for university-level coursework when it comes to reading comprehension skills of “complex texts.”

The answer to this problem may be in what is referred to as ‘slow reading.’ That is, taking the time to read without the Internet’s presence, without distractions and…slowly of course! It may be time for teachers and parents to begin encouraging ‘slow reading’ as a learning method. Some say it should be in school curriculums.

As many have commented online, the ‘quick and easy’ Internet of our world today makes it feel too cumbersome to learn a topic in detail. When you Google a question, you often don’t even have to click to read an article anymore – Google’s search results pages are showing question answers immediately. And, much of the internet is written for quick consumption too, as noted in the article linked-to above.

Is this a way to learn comprehension strategies? Will our future generations know the importance of taking time to understand a topic fully? Will they be able to ‘connect the dots’ in a story plot line, even if it’s on paper and not a TV show? Can they pick up on sub texts? Can they ‘get’ the metaphors they are reading? Do they know what cultural phrases and sayings mean today, and in history? Did they ask themselves a question at all, while reading?

‘Slow reading’ advocates would say the art of comprehension is dwindling. So, in this article, we’ll give 3 benefits for teachers and parents to encourage slow reading as a learning method:

1: ‘Slow reading’ is challenging, and that’s good; it helps you analyze

According to the video on this Wall Street Journal article, slow reading can increase your ability to analyze. Just like slow food, the digestion of material is better for you. You get to know the topic you’re reading, and you get to form opinions about it too. Dare we say: that might lead to new ideas in this world?

It’s hard these days to sit down, read, and do nothing else but delve into your book. The accomplishment in itself can be a practice in ‘de-connecting’ and winding down.

See related articles:

2: ‘Slow reading’ can teach you new things, creating more ‘ah ha’ moments

Think about it: when you read in-depth, you become more aware of more topics in a detailed way. We’re not talking about trivia knowledge. In reading, you may learn something new in one ‘ah ha’ moment, even though that moment was just a blip in time compared to the rest of your reading session. Teens who read in-depth topics will be able to connect those ‘ah ha’ moments, by memory, to lessons they’re learning in the classroom at school.

Need an example of how this plays out in education? In one of our past articles on this blog, we wrote about, “6 Science lessons using chickens as the common theme.” You’d be surprised how many topics in science that the thought of a mere chicken can bring up. But knowing more about individual topics can help a person put them together, and see their relatedness,. This results in a more comprehensive view of our world.

Making connections between subjects relates to interdisciplinary learning. And, this is what STEM and STEAM education are all about these days. They ‘connect the dots’ between the applications of science, technology, engineering, art and math. Knowing these topics in depth – that is, reading and learning about them carefully – can bring about great inventions, as we’re seeing in the Maker education movement.

3: ‘Slow reading’ helps you understand other people

In this article about ‘slow reading’ by the Guardian, an argument is made that the practice is about being able to understand what an author is saying, at a deeper level. This is the point brought up in the first article we linked to above, where we learned that students are not ready for college-level reading based on ACT analysis. The author says,

One can’t rush by phrases from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden—such as, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately”—and still follow the meaning of the work. Readers must stop for a moment, even if only to shake their heads and mumble, “Huh?” They insert a hesitant question before moving on. What does he mean, “deliberately”?”

When you have to understand what another person is saying, whether or not they are being blunt with you, it helps you also understand what they’re going through, who they are, and the reason for saying what they say.

This can lead to greater interpersonal skills. A good, slow read of a text can help with that. After all, the more ways we know how to say things, the more ways we will be able to understand them.

‘Slow reading’ doesn’t have to wait, but it does have to be scheduled

Given the movement of ‘slow reading’ is all about ‘unplugging’ from our electronic world, it’s no wonder the activity is being encouraged as something you schedule. It’s something you make time for, not that you necessarily do on your own automatically.

As teachers and parents, we can incorporate ‘slow reading’ into classroom or family time. For teachers, we also found this resource to help students learn about reading comprehension, so they know what the goal of ‘slow reading’ time is.

Whether reading on a tablet, Kindle or on hardcopy paper, comprehension is important. The more you do it, the better you’ll likely become at it. While ‘purists’ of the ‘slow reading’ movement may disagree with our comment on using an electronic device, we would simply say: do what you know won’t tempt you! That is, if you’re bound to go online while reading on a tablet, then don’t use one for this activity.

Teaching kids how to start a newspaper (7): covering magazines and feature stories

Susan Cumberland June 2, 2017

See other articles in this series:

In our past articles on this series, we’ve been covering the subject of teaching kids how to start a newspaper. Our focus has mainly been on the ‘hard news’ style of print publishing. We’ve covered a lot about producing – and thus recognizing – quality news. However, there is a side to journalism that does bring out a different style of writing and coverage. This comes in magazines and ‘features’ (more in-depth areas of newspapers).

There is just as much merit in saying that good journalism expands into magazine-style publications, as it does newspapers. This is because there is certainly an audience that likes to read periodicals, but isn’t always looking for breaking news. Plus, magazines and ‘feature sections’ of newspapers attract revenue in the same way for publishing companies.

And, to be honest, the kids in your class are probably more familiar with magazines than they are with hard news. So this lesson may be fun for them, since they’ll be able to apply its lessons to their own interest-based reading material.

So in this article, we’re going to teach kids about magazines and feature articles. Let’s get started!

Teach kids the differences between a newspaper, a magazine and a feature story

The first step, of course, is to know what a magazine and a feature story are, in comparison to a newspaper. We gave some tips on writing news copy in earlier lessons, but those tips may not always apply to magazine or feature writing. This is because the audience, style, timeliness and length are going to be different.

Magazines and feature articles are longer, and more in depth. Feature articles are what usually show up in magazines, though they can be found in newspapers as well. They have more creative freedom and aren’t as bound by the restrictions of ‘getting to the point fast.’ They can take their time, so to speak, to tell a story fully.

They also have broader inclusions of acceptable topics. The elements that make a news story are stringent, whereas the elements that make a magazine or feature story could still include those relevant factors, while also highlighting a new angle, with a more focused approach.

In writing news copy, we learned that ‘writing tight’ is key. This is to make room for advertisements. While making room for advertisements is still important in magazine publishing, it doesn’t always mean a lesser word count per article. Thus, the writing can include things like adjectives, if it adds to the enjoyment of reading the story. The aim here is more for ‘digest’ and ‘leisure’ reading, rather than finding out the news as fast as possible.

This article we found explains that there are 4 main elements that make a magazine different from a newspaper. To use their words, they are:

Audience
Content
Distribution
Design and layout

And this article goes into depth about how a journalist’s job is different when it comes to newspaper and magazines.

This PDF we found online highlights the types of feature articles, as well as great vocabulary to know when producing a feature or magazine article. It can also be used as a full lesson plan for teaching kids how to write a feature article.

This article explains with utmost clarity that feature stories are not just ‘softer’ stories. It also explains that the main difference has to do with writing style.

Use practice lessons to teach kids about magazines and features

Practice makes perfect! While you are teaching kids about how to start a newspaper, you can also teach them a new facet of journalistic writing: feature articles and magazine production.

Thankfully, there are some great resources ready-to-go for your lesson planning on this topic.

There is the PDF we linked to above, and these:

Magazine Production – Lesson (by Media Smarts)

Feature Writing Lesson Plans (by schooljournalism.org)

You can stick to one you like, or combine them, with your own additions and input, to teach magazines and feature article writing to your students.

Magazine and feature articles can be a fun way to teach kids about writing styles

As we brought up in our articles about writing news copy, there are different forms of writing styles. Kids in school may have been taught essay, book report or story writing in their English classes. But in the wider world that they’ll operate in after they graduate, they’ll soon realize the world doesn’t always write in those formats. But reading and being able to articulate in different styles can go a long way when putting ‘communication skills’ on a resume.

As mentioned above, kids are probably reading magazines already, or could certainly find a magazine on their interests. This may be a fun way to pretend to be a fashion writer, national geographic explorer or a Maker magazine contributor (see our article about Maker education to learn why kids may enjoy this topic).

In short, use their interests to start lessons on magazines and feature articles. In the end, they’ll be better equipped to communicate to new audiences, and to alter their writing style with a specific purpose in mind.

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 3: kombucha and ginger ale)

Susan Cumberland May 26, 2017

Teach kids fermentation science ginger ale

Biology lesson: teach kids about yeast and fermentation with food projects (Part 2: kefir, yogurt and cheese)

In our previous two posts on teaching kids about yeast and fermentation, we covered food projects like bread, kimchi, sauerkraut. We also delved into dairy fermentation with kefir, yogurt and cheese. In this post, we’ll learn how natural sodas are made by fermenting yeast, which is actually the same way that alcohols are made.

WARNING: parents and teachers please be aware that kombucha and ginger ale recipes can create alcohol content as part of their natural fermentation process. Please take caution when serving these products to kids! Also: the bottles used to create the soda products below could explode, especially if they’re not made for this type of carbonation process. If that happens, take safety precautions, and watch out for shards of glass near kids!

Note that you can buy beer grade bottles and capping equipment from brewing shops for this science project, which may be safer than flip-top bottles or jars. Always keep the bottles or jars you use for natural carbonation in a covered box to contain any possible explosions.

With that said, let’s start learning about yeasts, fermentation and soda-making!

Teach kids about microbial symbiosis with kombucha

The kombucha ‘train’ is taking off among health nuts looking for a new way to get probiotics into their system. You can buy it in the stores, or you can make it at home with scoby, caffeinated tea and sugar.

The science lesson here teaches symbiosis, since kombucha likes multiple types of bacteria. In fact, “scoby” is actually an acronym for “symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast.” Plus, once that ‘healthy’ bacteria gets into your gut, more ‘good’ symbiosis takes place! You can also show kids how temperature affects the growth rate of these microbes, by leaving some in the fridge, and others at room temperature.

Since scoby is so old, dating back to ancient times, and because of the new bacteria it can introduce on each duplication, this lesson also brings about the concept of DNA changes over time.

The scoby fungi duplicates itself on every fermentation you put it through, which can take a few days (though this depends on the temperature in the environment). You can start a scoby from scratch, or you can find one from a regular home kombucha brewer.

For kids, the interesting part of kombucha is when you put it through a ‘second fermentation’ process. This is when the drink gets fuzzy, producing a natural (optionally flavoured) soda. But it kind of tastes like vinegar, so it’s not like the kids will have their expectations met when you use the word ‘soda’ here.

There has been some controversy around kombucha due to its ability to create alcohol when it sits too long on store shelves. Be aware that this product is living – especially if you make it at home. There aren’t really stabilizers preventing the further growth and fermentation of the soda, so it will keep ‘going’ until it becomes alcohol.

Teach kids about yeast fermentation with homemade ginger ale

This is a surprisingly easy and inexpensive project. Homemade ginger ale can also be turned into ginger beer, depending on the balance of sugars and days of fermentation you give it. But whatever you turn it into, it can teach kids a little history on how old-fashioned sodas were made using yeast found on the skins of ginger. The starter for this type of yeast food product is called ‘ginger bug.’ The term “ginger beer” in this sense isn’t necessarily actual, ‘get drunk’ beer. However, we should note that the live ginger bug can eventually bring this liquid to beer-level alcohol content.

Here is a lesson for kids on making ginger beer:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/eppp-archive/100/205/301/ic/cdc/science/english/bio/projects/microbio.html

This lesson teaches a bit of history on ginger beer, as well as giving a recipe:

http://www.scienceinschool.org/2008/issue8/gingerbeer

You can also give a bit of a history lesson regarding ginger ale and how it came to be thought of a stomach soother. Others claim ginger to be anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting.

Here’s a fun ‘gross science’ lesson: in this process, you can also try ‘starving’ or ‘stressing’ the ginger bug by not giving it enough sugar in one of your control experiments. It will produce an awful rotten egg smell. Where is that smell coming from? Likely a sulphur-type gas. What is sulphur? How do you prevent it with ‘stabilization’? Bring on another science lesson!

Making ginger ale with yeast is quite similar to the concept of making kombucha. Here are simple recipes we found online to try:

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/papas-homemade-hooch-the-worlds-best-and-easiest-homemade-ginger-ale/

https://wellnessmama.com/8942/ginger-bug/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4wmWWen4vE

Please remember, this fermented food product can also produce alcohol, like kombucha. We just want to be extra sure we’re making that disclaimer very clear!

To conclude: teaching kids yeast and fermentation science could go on and on…

As you’ve seen by the many resources we’ve provided in this three-part series, yeast and fermentation can teach kids a lot about biology, chemistry and microbial science. And, you don’t even need expensive materials, or a microscope to see it happening! Not only that, the extent to which fermentation happens can go further than the projects we’ve pointed out.

For example, while alcohol is not necessarily a kid-friendly experiment, it can be brought up as a procedural lesson on fermentation. Pickling other foods is another route to go with your science class. And, understanding the microbes in our body, along with the yeast that lives in and on our bodies, can be another biology or health science lesson (such as the explanation of yeast infections, or dandruff).

Whatever route you take, we hope you enjoy making and tasting these historic fermented foods as a result!

Parents beware: fentanyl overdoses are killing our ‘good kid’ teens when taking drugs ‘innocently’

Susan Cumberland May 19, 2017

Fentanyl teen overdose — Photo Credit: marc falardeau Flickr via Compfight cc

From the ‘90s and 2000s we remember the ‘just say no’ campaigns against drugs. Whether they worked or not, at that time, addiction was a fear, and rightly so; drugs could ruin promising lives.

Today, however, we’re dealing with a more serious issue, layering on top of our fears of addiction. Fentanyl is being found in modern forms of common street drugs like heroin and cocaine because it’s cheap to synthesize. It’s also deceiving people into thinking it’s a less harmful choice because it’s sold as a prescription drug and used in ‘real’ medicine.

But fentanyl is 50-100 times more lethal than other drugs. It’s killing our ‘good kid’ teens. Deaths are happening in a single dose. This article on PBS.org shows a side-by-side picture of the lethal doses of heroin and fentanyl. A picture is worth a thousand words, and you’ll certainly get that idea when seeing the comparison visually. Deadly fentanyl almost looks like a few grains of salt.

Messages against drugs today are not just about surviving addiction or suffering brain damage: they’re about whether or not your ‘experimenting’ kid is going to die tonight.

Fentanyl overdoses are happening to teens we wouldn’t expect them to happen to

The scary thing is that these overdoses are happening to the teens we least suspect them to be happening to. Whether you think your kids are at risk or not, it’s important your entire family knows this information. Don’t think the headlines about our opioid crises don’t apply to your ‘good kid.’

Remember: fentanyl is taking one dose to kill. Just one. That’s one bad decision, or one ‘trick’ that a teen is taking something else, when in fact it’s laced with deadly fentanyl.

Fentanyl teen overdose stories in the news are real, and telling of an opioid crisis among our kids

If we sound strong, we hope to be. Type the words, “fentanyl teens” into Google and you’ll get no shortage of news stories telling the tale that is now becoming common: ‘teen dies of fentanyl overdose.’ Don’t believe us? Think it’s just a USA thing? Nope. Here are some Canadian news articles to get you started:

“She did not get the risks”: Esquimalt teen dies in suspected fentanyl overdose – this article tells the story of a teen who died because she believed in a world where someone could pay their dealer $20 extra “to make sure there’s no fentanyl.” In other words, the kids might know about the dangers of fentanyl already. They just might not think they will be a victim.

‘These drugs are killing our kids’: Why teen brains are more vulnerable to fentanyl and opioid addiction – this article shows the startling graph of the spike in fentanyl overdoses in 2016. It also tells the story of a teenage girl who died in a Port Moody, B.C. Starbucks bathroom because of fentanyl and heroin. And, the story of a 23-year-old who beat addiction in his teens, but later died from an overdose.

Pills laced with fentanyl found near teen who overdosed, police confirm – this is the story of a grade 9 Ottawa student who died of a fentanyl overdose after two days in hospital. The only warning sign? “A few typical teenage issues.” And apparently, a counsellor was not enough. Kids need to know, ‘real and hard,’ how serious this opioid crisis is.

What should parents and teachers do about fentanyl education among teens at home and at school?

You may feel like, as the parent, your kid won’t listen to you. It’s a common fear. But there are ways to go about the conversation. And part of that is forming the right relationship with your teen.

Apart from having ‘the talk,’ there is more you can do as a parent or teacher at school to give fentanyl education to teens.

Firstly, get educated about it yourself. Below are great resources to understand ‘what is fentanyl’? And many questions surrounding it:

http://www.projectknow.com/research/fentanyl-and-teens/

http://www.fraserhealth.ca/media/Overdose_SchoolToolkit_FINAL.pdf

http://globalnews.ca/news/2158422/fentanyl-101-the-facts-and-dangers/

Proactively educate teens on fentanyl dangers. Prevention is the best cure. And by that we don’t just mean telling kids not to do drugs. But know that most people taking opioids don’t know they are. In cases where they do know, it may have started out innocently, as pain medication. In fact, this article on Vox explains that more people are dying as a result of what starts as prescription opioids, than other recreational drug use.

Make sure your school is utilizing educational methods to keep teens aware of the risks of fentanyl. Remember, it’s not detectable, and not all drug sellers will say fentanyl has been added to their questionable products. Kids also should not assume that if a pill looks like a prescription, it is one.

Make sure teens know about precautions when using drugs. While we know it’s hard to make it sound like you’re ok with kids doing drugs, this point of education can save lives. Since the teens are likely to make choices due to peer pressure, or because they’re just unaware of the risks (like the stories above), these points can at least keep them in check:

Get a hold of Naloxone (THN) kits. These can save lives if someone is overdosing. According to this article, even non-drug-using parents should have these, just in case they’re in a situation they’ll be needed.
Never do drugs alone. Try to have a designated ‘no high’ person present.
Know the symptoms of a fentanyl overdose.

And, a big one….

Teach teens to get their drugs tested for fentanyl before taking them. There are centres that will do this, such as Insite in Vancouver, online, or at certain pharmacies. You can advocate to have more centres offer these cheap, or free tests.

As parents and adults, let’s set examples for our kids when it comes to drug use

We’re going to end this with an opinion, by mentioning that during our research on this topic, we read about unsuspecting adults taking drugs, and dying of overdoses too. Of course, no one thinks it will be them until it happens. Recently a North Vancouver couple died of an overdose, leaving behind a two-year old. We found other stories of parents taking drugs around kids, which are too tear-jerking to mention here. But you can find them if you look.

When things like this happen, we have to wonder, why? Why waste life? For what? And, if they had survived, would they be indifferent about their decision? Would they do it again?

While articles above do explain that teen brains are developing, and thus can be more harmed by drugs, it doesn’t exempt adults from the responsibility of making those decisions wisely too. We’re even reading of marijuana laced with fentanyl – not a lot, but it’s out there. What seems innocent, and just some fun, may not be. Kids brains are not yet fully developed. But adult brains should be. Adults are in a better position to make mature decisions.

Teens are going through a hard time. While you may not play the role of being their ‘best buddy,’ you can set an example for them when it comes to drug use. If they see you behave irresponsibly with prescriptions, or with recreational drugs, expect that it will have an impact on their attitude towards them too.