Because we are adults, we look at situations with an adult lens. How many times have you caught yourself saying to your child, “just brush it off” or “it’s not that bad”, or “it’s not that big of a deal”. We’ve all done it believing that whatever issue or change the child is facing is something they’ll just get over. However, some children lack the resilience and skill set needed to manage these changes. They view them as adverse experiences, kicking off a fight or flight response in their brain that can paralyze them. 

Enough of these “adverse experiences” that are not managed correctly puts your child significantly more at risk for substance abuse as they become teenagers.