(Posted 352 days ago)

Do's and Don'ts:

First of all, forget about trying to put together a script - this is real life, not a TV show.

Second, what's being described here is not a script, it's a lecture. Lecturing a teenager/young adult is the best way to shut down communication as quickly as possible. It's also the best way to ensure they will ignore your advice.

What's needed in a situation like this is DIALOG!!! Dialog can start with a leading question, but it can't be scripted.

Finally, if your teenager is doing well in almost all other respects (gets good grades, has well adjusted friends, observes curfews and other parental requests), then you should ask yourself how important it is to make an issue out of pot smoking.

Say This:

"Where were you just now?" - then, depending on the answer, you might ask "Your clothes smell like pot smoke to me, were you someplace where people were smoking pot?"