When to Worry

Question

My 12 year old son was huffing glue. I am not sure what to do. He says he has done it a few times with his friends. I am not sure if he is minimizing his use. He says he didn’t know how dangerous it was but now that we have given him a lot of information to read he says he is never going to do it again. He is a kid that has never been in serious trouble before. We don’t want to over react and we don’t want to under react. What is the next logical step for us in this situation? Do we need to get some sort of professional involved?

Jim LaPierre · Accepted Answer

Kudos to you for being a concerned parent - I wish the world had more of those. Based on what you're telling me I would say there doesn't appear to be need for professional involvement. I'd encourage you to monitor his friends and talk with their parents about your concerns because huffing is indeed very high risk behavior and while it may be awkward to have these conversations it's a lot better than surviving a tragedy.

Spend time with your son and remember that the best intervention is having a close and loving relationship. The more your kids see you as someone they can come to the more they will.

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