As your child grows older, their problems and your concerns will only grow with them. You need to understand that no matter how hard you try to shield and protect them from every danger out there, they’re bound to have experiences that you wouldn’t approve of. Drug addiction is without a doubt every parent’s worst nightmare, especially with the rising numbers of overdose deaths over the past few years according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S.
As a concerned parent, it’s only normal for you to want to keep a watchful eye on your child and try to find ways to ensure that they’re not using any kind of drugs. However, going through their stuff and badgering them to take a drug test can only push them away. Eventually, they’re not going to trust you anymore and this isn’t something that you can emotionally afford. If you’re going through a rough patch with your child, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some ideas on how to do a drug test without breaking the trust bond you have with them:
Involve Your Child in the Process
Addiction is a disease. You can’t trick your child into taking a drug test without first talking with them and walking them through the entire process. Understandably, you might not have the answers nor a clear plan as to how you can help them. However, you’re still the adult and should assume your role as such. Talk to a specialist and educate yourself first before attempting to open up the subject with your child. Once you have an action plan, talk with your child and try your best to make them see that they have your support and your respect no matter what. Be prepared for either case and share with your child your intended course of action. You should also remember to be honest and don’t set unrealistic expectations if your child’s case turns out to be worse than you had thought. This is going to be one of the toughest conversations that you can ever have with your child. However hard it might be, try to see it as an opportunity to show your unconditional love for your child and your credibility to make them feel that they can always trust you to act in their best interest.
Let Them Take the Test On Their Own Terms
Dragging your child to the nearest clinic to have them take a drug test is never a good idea. Instead, make them feel like you can get over your own anger and still treat them like adults to pick the right time and place. Many parents who have gone through similar experiences noted that their children felt more comfortable about picking the time to take the drug test at home. It’s important that they feel safe and have some sort of control over their lives. The specialists at https://drugtestcity.com/ believe that drug testing at home can be cheap, fast, and most importantly, highly accurate. This should put your mind at ease if you’re still on the fence about testing at home. Keep in mind that at this point, there’s no winning or losing, it’s all about providing your child with the safe environment they need to agree to take the test without feeling like they’re being accused without any concrete evidence.
Let Your Child Understand That You Won’t Make Any Decisions Until You See the Results
Even if deep down you’re sure that your child is using drugs, wait until you have the test results before you make any decisions. On the one hand, even if they don’t show it, your child will appreciate that you chose not to act on a whim and waited to have a solid case. On the other, your waiting is a good sign that you’re choosing to be rational and not going to let your emotions take over. No matter how wild your child is, they’ll surely be scared and ashamed if they tested positive. You pointing fingers and speaking words of disappointment will only aggravate the situation and might even cause permanent damage to your relationship.
Involve an Expert
Dealing with such a huge problem like drug abuse is too much of a burden for inexperienced parents. Even if you took it upon yourself to read every book out there and go to every seminar and support group, you still need to involve an expert. Talk with your child and find an expert that you can both trust to convince them to take the test.
It’s not uncommon for children to resist anything and everything that their parents suggest even when they believe it to be the right thing. You can consult your child’s school counselor and ask them to recommend specialists that they believe your child will respond to. Give them the space to have one-on-one sessions with their therapists without you. This will make them feel like they can trust you and will eventually stop fighting the idea to take the drug test.
Just the slightest doubt that your child might be using drugs is a good enough reason to get depressed and feel defeated. However, you must’ve seen in tens of movies and hundreds of books that sulking in this feeling never really help. On the contrary, now more than ever, your child needs you to step up and face this issue like you would anything else. Use the above tips to encourage your child to get tested without straining your relationship or breaking their trust.