| A drug-free home contract is one of the | | | | is violated. |
| methods that parents use today to get their | | | | 3. Doable solutions. Another thing that must be |
| children in line and to prevent them from using | | | | specific with the drug free home contract or any |
| illegal substances and abusing prescribed medicine. | | | | home rules contract is the solutions to undertake |
| Just like other forms of home rules contracts, the | | | | when the children do happen to abuse drugs. |
| use of a drug-free home contract is seen by | | | | These solutions must be doable and should involve |
| many as effective because it teaches teenagers | | | | the entire family in their accomplishment. |
| that every action they make has a corresponding | | | | 4. Date of renegotiation. The drug free home |
| consequence. | | | | should cover a specific time period. It should be |
| Preventing drug abuse among teenagers and | | | | stated in the contract when it would expire, and |
| teaching them the value of consequences are not | | | | when it expires, the parties involved should be |
| the only purposes of the drug free home | | | | able to renegotiate the terms of the contract. |
| contract. The drug-free home contract also gives | | | | Making the Drug-Free Home Contract Work |
| parents a measure of control over their own | | | | In principle, the creation of a drug-free home is |
| children. It also serves as a means to regulate | | | | effective in keeping the kids off drugs. However, |
| behavior among the children and to put conflict | | | | there are conditions that should be observed to |
| and disruption over the children's behavior to a | | | | make it truly work. These conditions are: |
| minimum. | | | | 1. All the adults serving as parent figures to the |
| The Contents of a Drug-Free Home Contract | | | | children should be involved in making the contract. |
| The drug free home contract has four basic | | | | These include the biological parents, the |
| elements. These elements are: | | | | step-parents and the legal guardians. |
| 1. Identification of the problem. In any home rules | | | | 2. If the parents are divorced, they should set |
| contract, all the parties involved in writing it - the | | | | aside their personal differences for the sake of |
| parents and the children - are supposed to | | | | their children in writing the drug-free home. |
| identify the problems to be addressed by the | | | | Otherwise, they are opening themselves and the |
| contract. In a drug-free home contract, the | | | | contract to manipulation by the children. |
| problem to be dealt with in particular is drug | | | | 3. All the children should be covered by the |
| abuse. The parties writing the contract should be | | | | contract. Not one should be excluded, or else the |
| specific in what drugs should not be touched by | | | | children covered will resent the children who are |
| the children so there would be no loopholes. | | | | excluded from observing it. |
| 2. Clear expectations. It should be clear to both | | | | 4. The punishment should be appropriate; |
| the parents, the children, and the other parties | | | | otherwise, the children would resent the existence |
| concerned with the drug free home contract | | | | of the drug-free contract and will not cooperate. |
| what privileges will be revoked when the contract | | | | |