Guardrails Not Roadblocks | Walpole Prevention C

Guardrails, Not Roadblocks Parent Media Campaign

About the Campaign

Through our DFC funding, and with collaboration with our MassCALL3 Partners, we have been able to create and launch our parent/caregiver media campaign titled, "Guardrails, Not Roadblocks".

In this campaign we acknowledge that parenting is a work in progress and that no one knows it all, but that by understanding the risks and what works, we can achieve healthy outcomes for our youth.

The Guardrails, Not Roadblocks campaign encourages parents to:

TALK to your child about expectations and consequences related to substance use.
CONNECT with other parents if your child spends time at their home
TAKE ACTION to keep alcohol and other substances locked up safely in your home.

Campaign Materials

Conversations with Other Parents

As a parent, you make rules, expectations, and guidelines that you think are best for your child and their health and safety. However, these parenting decisions can be in opposition with other parents who may have different rules and beliefs (e.g. more lenient toward substance use or more strict), which can make things complicated when your child is in the hands of another parent.

This is why having open and clear conversations with other parents is essential to coming to shared understandings and fostering a supportive community and relationships.

We know these conversations can be hard, so we've crafted some conversation starters for you to get those conversations going! We hope you find this information helpful.

Tip #1: Find common ground.

Focusing on what you have in common will help you both feel more at ease, so you can really listen to and understand each other.

Sample Conversation Starters:

"I always ask other parents: What substances do you have in your home? How are they stored?"
"As parents, we al want to keep our kids safe. I'm wondering, what are your agreements with your kids about substances? What precautions do you take to prevent unintended access?”
“I have a few questions I like to ask before my child goes anywhere new. Who wi l be supervising? Do you have any pets? Wi l there be any substances around? How do you communicate with your kids about their use?”
"We are all works in progress."
“One thing I love about talking to other parents is hearing what works well for you. We have so much to learn from one another”

Tip #2: Your goal is not to persuade anyone, it's just to have the conversation!

When you talk to other parents about their practices and strategies around substances, you are helping to normalize the practice of talking about it.

Sample Conversation Starters:

“Every family has their own way of handling things, and I know we can learn from each other.”
"I want our kids to enjoy their time together and spend it safely. I worry about the impact that substances can have, both in the short (impaired decision-making) and long term (derailing healthy development). So I always try to make sure I understand the environment my kids will be in."
"How does your family approach the task of safely storing substances?"
"I know this isn't easy to talk about, and I appreciate your willingness to engage in this conversation with me."

Tip #3: Talk about how to store substances securely.

Share ideas - it doesn't matter whose they are. Talking about secure storage options may encourage other parents to store substances more securely.

Sample Conversation Starters:

“I learned something really interesting from [childʼs friendʼs parent] about how they have tackled this challenge.”
"Have you found any good sources of information or strategies for safe storage?"
"It's important to me that substances are not easily accessible to my kids, so I always ask parents about what works for them."
"Kids can be curious, especially in a new place, so I'm wondering: What steps do you take to prevent your child or their friends from accessing substances in your home?"

Tip #4: If you use substances yourself (as a young person or now) this can help be an entry point into the conversation.

If you broke rules when you were in their shoes but you enforce them now, that's just part of being a parent. Since you've been there, you can speak from experience.

Sample Conversation Starters:

“Of course when I was young, I knew people who partied – but I also knew people who got into real trouble. I feel like itʼs our job to help kids learn to take reasonable risks as theyʼre becoming more independent.”
“We try to model responsible drinking at home so theyʼll know what it looks like when theyʼre older. But at their age, I donʼt think anyone is sharing a nice bottle of wine with dinner, if you know what I mean.”
“When I smoked pot as a teen, I felt like I had to keep it secret. Now that itʼs legal and there are dispensaries everywhere, kids get so many mixed messages. How are you handling the way itʼs all just out there now?”
"There's so much more that we now know about how substances can derail healthy development. I want to talk about this with my kids, but I donʼt want it to sound like “if I knew then what I knew nowʼ how do you approach this with your kids?”

Final Tips

Starting the Conversation:

Approach the conversation calmly and from a place of openness and listening.
Seek to understand the other person's parenting approach and share your own.

After the Conversation:

Express gratitude. "I know this can be an awkward conversation, and I appreciate that you were willing to have it."
If the conversation doesn't go as planned, this about how you might approach it differently in the future.

Tips for Having a Productive Conversation:

Remember that everyoneʼs thoughts, feelings, and experiences matter. No matter how someone feels about substances demonstrate trust that they are making the best choices for their child.
Stay calm. Emotions can escalate the conversation and make it harder for you to understand each other. Try to understand the other personʼs perspective.
If the conversation starts to feel more like a debate or an argument, mention something that you agree on. “We clearly both want our kids to be safe.” The goal is not to prove that youʼre right, but to build a connection.
Be prepared to share ideas (i.e. safe storage options).