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Dear Teachers Q & A

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By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Be Sure to Talk to Your Children About Inhalants

          Question: My son tells me that some of his friends are inhaling common household items and see no danger in doing so. I think that some of the kids are overdoing it. What should I tell my child about the dangers of inhalants? What are some of the signs of inhalant abuse? Where can help be found for inhalant abusers? – Need Information

          Answer: One of the first things your child needs to know about inhalants is that they are highly addictive. You also need to make him aware of how harmful they can be to the body. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC) explains that nearly all abused products produce effects similar to anesthetics, which slow down the body's function. Depending on the user’s dosage level, effects can be slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition or loss of consciousness. The user can also suffer from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. This means the user can die the first, 10th or 100th time he or she uses an inhalant. Other effects include damage to the heart, kidney, brain, liver, bone marrow and other organs.

          You may or may not be able to tell whether a friend of your child is abusing inhalants. Your son, however, would have a good idea about this. There is a common link between inhalant use and problems in school—failing grades, chronic absences and general apathy. The NIPC lists these other signs:

According to the NIPC, treatment facilities for inhalant users are rare and difficult to find. Users suffer a high rate of relapse and require 30 to 40 days or more of detoxification. Users suffer withdrawal symptoms, which can include hallucinations, nausea, excessive sweating, hand tremors, muscle cramps, headaches, chills and delirium tremens. Follow-up treatment is very important. If anyone in your family or someone you know is seeking help for inhalant abuse or information, you should visit Inhalants.org.

Parents need to be aware that inhalants are all over the place in their homes. Here is a partial list of some household items that are being abused: model airplane glue, rubber cement, household cement, spray paint, hair spray, air freshener, nail polish remover, vegetable cooking spray and spray whipped cream.Social Skills Programs Can Improve Behavioral Problems

          Question: It was a big surprise to me to hear from my son’s third grade teacher that he does not always behave well at school. Apparently, he says mean things to other kids and even has provoked fights at recess. The teacher now has him in a social skills class at school which she believes should help him eliminate these behaviors. What can we do at home to help him stop them? – Seeking Change

Answer: Good social skills are critical to successful functioning in school as well as life. Children often act out in school when something is not working for them. Or they may have strong feelings that they cannot seem to express in other ways. The social skills class could go a long way to improving his behavior. In the past, it was the parents’ job to teach these skills. Now schools are offering formal social skills programs to help all children acquire these skills or just to those who demonstrate poor social skills.

          It is questionable how much you can do at home to stop his misbehaving at school. Visiting the classroom to check on his behavior will probably not be helpful as he more than likely will be on his best behavior. Talk with his teacher to find out specifically how and when your son misbehaves. Ask if the teacher has any idea about why he is misbehaving in the classroom. Is he being bullied or teased or having a hard time keeping up in one or more classes? Any of these things may be causing your son’s poor behavior. Once known, any causes of his misbehavior should be addressed.

On the home front, one of the first things that you should do in this situation is to talk to your son about why he is saying mean things to other children and fighting. Try to get to the root cause of his behavior. If it is the way other children are treating him, work with the teacher to stop this from happening. And help your son find better ways to handle such things as bullying and teasing. Also, ask yourself if the reason for his misbehaving at school has anything to do with events happening at home. Is he dealing with a life-changing event like death or divorce?

          Punishing your child for his misbehavior is not likely to be nearly as effective as finding out why he misbehaves and trying to help him find ways to behave better. In any case, you should stay close to your child – expressing affection, especially in the morning before school as a closer connection to you can help him feel stronger and avoid situations that are causing his misbehavior.

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2022

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

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