Helping Kids Prevent Embarrassing Mistakes: Learning from Audrina Partridge

Audrina Patridge made a mistake and was able to come out of it into a career. Not everyone does. Keep your teen from making these mistakes by teaching them right from wrong, give them options, and keep communication open. Teach your children by showing them examples from the internet of the harm that these actions can cause. Time after time movie stars, politicians and our neighbors are reminded of the outrageous actions of their past.

Audrina Patridge trying to find her way took nude photos right out of high school.
President George Bush admits to "drinking too much" and being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush
One of my neighbors left her child in her car while she went inside a store. Use these stories and others to guide your teen in the right direction.

Every family has a different standard of what is right and wrong but most of us agree on the main points. In this article we are focusing on posing naked, drunk driving and leaving a child unattended. First tell your teen that this is not acceptable behavior. Then explain why. If you just yell, "Don't ever do that. You'll die!!!", All you have accomplished is to open the idea into their minds. This may even make it more likely that they will. Instead, find pictures and articles on the subject. You may even have your daughter search for instances in the profession that she wants to go into. Here are a few covering sites that you can visit on each subject:

Nude photos:

Hudgens to lose job for nude photo scandal?
http://wizbangpop.com/2007/09/07/hudgens-to-lose-job-for-nude-photo-scandal.php

Police Chief May Lose Job Over Wife's Nude Pics
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/9796432/detail.html

What can happen to my friend? Nude cell phone pics and firing.?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080229080339AAXG0fs

Drunk Driving:

Impaired Driving
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm

Drag racing during the car crash that turned his passenger and friend into a vegetable
http://duicalifornia.blogspot.com/2007/11/hogan-supplied-beer-to-nicks-dui.html

Faced DUI charges twice...death toll went to three

Not taking responsibility:

On Fox News.com "A 7-month-old infant was found dead in the heat of a parked car Thursday"
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,294354,00.html

If you see a child or pet locked inside a hot car, call the police on your cell phone
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5443/summer_safety_feel_free_to_smash_car.html?page=2

Car Stolen With Child Inside
http://www.click2houston.com/news/15353615/detail.html

Child can move the gear shift
http://www.baby-car-seat-injury.com/vehiclesput_motionchildren.html

My neighbor left her son of 2 in her car to run inside and get a soda. Sounds so simple, but the 2 year old pulled the gear shifter and was soon flying backwards across a street nearly missing a car and right into a rain filled ditch. Thankfully the driver of the car sped up and missed the toddlers car. He turned around and pulled the toddler out of the car. At that time his mother came screaming out of the store dropping the soda that was so important. All was just fine and the lesson was learned. Wouldn't it be nice if someone else could learn from this without putting a child in danger.

Along with showing these websites and others also give your teen options. What do they do if they are needing money for books in college? What if they are working on becoming a model and no one wants to hire them except one porno shooting company? What if their boyfriend wants a naked picture to keep on his phone or in his wallet? Should I get into a car after drinking only a few drinks? How do I get home? Bring these ideas up and encourage more ideas form your teen. Be creative and open. If you make it hard for your teen to ask for lunch money then they will be more likely to find their own way. This does not mean always handing them money. It may mean teaching them how to get money the right way. Help them get and keep a job or pay an allowance based on chores. Every family and situation is different but every family and situation have the same basic needs: food, water, clothing and shelter. Help your child know how to get those and how to keep them so that they do not get into trouble.

Remember to keep lines of communication open. By keeping a open line of communication with your child you are preventing future problems. Instead of asking Johnny if she should get her rent by taking a few pictures, she will ask you. This is where you can remind her of the consequences and help her find a way to earn the money. Your teens or even college students should not be own their own to find their way. You can help and guide them before they go to college and while they are their. Think about what you went through when you were their age. Did you go out and drink with friends? Think of the desires that you had and influences around you. Bush was 30 when he drove drunk. Thankfully no one was harmed, but that is not always the case. Just recently here in Abilene a young man drove his buddies home after a few drinks. He lived but his two friends did not. These type of things have to be prevented by talking to our children before they learn to drive, drink, or what ever may come into that mind of theirs or their friends. Talking to them ahead of time also helps them accept your instruction. Think about it. If you feel guilty about something when you hear someone talk against it how do you feel. Don't you put your guard up? Teach them while making supper, eating, or right after watching a movie. Use the news to show them consequences. When you hear a new story ask them what that person could or should have done different. Remember that it is much harder now being a teen, but that there are more ways to keep in touch.

All of these people lived through their experiences and no one was seriously hurt, but that is not how it always works out. As a parent you may be able to prevent some of the misguided decisions that a child may make. By teaching them ahead of time, give them the ability to choose and always give them you. Remember also that if something does come up that being able to come to you about it is better than having to figure it out on their own. http://www.baby-car-seat-injury.com/vehiclesput_motionchildren.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5443/summer_safety_feel_free_to_smash_car.html?page=2 http://www.sptimes.com/2008/01/04/Hernando/Crash_claims_third_fa.shtmlhttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080229080339AAXG0fs http://wizbangpop.com/2007/09/07/hudgens-to-lose-job-for-nude-photo-scandal.php