Good information from the Prevention Council. These results match what teens from Roanoke County are saying.

“According to a survey by Columbia University's Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, almost one in five American teens say they live with 'hands-off' adults who fail to consistently set rules and monitor their behavior. These youth are at a four-times greater risk for smoking, drinking and illegal drug use then their peers with 'hands-on' parents. Studies also show that the more involved adults are in kids' lives, the more likely these kids are to be confident, compassionate, and sociable. So, are you a connected parent?

True or False?

"I know what my child most often daydreams about."

"I know the best and worst part of my child's school day."

"I know my child's greatest fear."

"I know the names of my child's six closest friends a little about their parents."

"I am intentional about having a meaningful conversation with my child every day."

According to Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, award-winning, best-selling authors of "The Parent You Want to Be: Who You Are Matters More than What You Do" (October 2007, Zondervan/HarperCollins) if you answered mostly "false" to any of these five statements, you will benefit from brushing up on how to be more connected to your child. Even if you answered "true" to each of these items, you can always learn new ways to become more connected.

Here are three life-altering tips from the Parrotts to help you become a more connected parent:

1) Listen so your kids will talk - When you listen to a child, you're subconsciously telling him that he's important. Nothing is more encouraging to a child - preschooler or teenager - than having a parent's undivided attention while speaking.

2) Talk so your kids will listen - To modify an old adage, your kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Care is so germane, so essential to a good conversation, that it often goes unnoticed. So if you want to talk so your kids will listen, you must be sure you heart is in the conversation. If you don't really care, of if you are distracted or disinterested, your kids won't care either.

3) Maximize quality time - Research shows that children who spend time talking to their parents, taking part in family activities and meals and building family traditions with their parents are less likely to engage in harmful activities. One study found that adolescents who ate more meals with their family suffered significantly lower rates of cigarette, alcohol and drug abuse, enjoyed higher GPAs and struggled less with depression.

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott are co-directors of the Center for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University (SPU). Learn more at www.realrelationships.com , click "Children" for their video responses to popular parenting questions.”

Other websites: www.thegordiefoundation.org - information about binge drinking – according to our last survey 24% of HVHS students said they binge drank in the last 30 days prior to taking the survey.

www.mediafamily.org ; www.soparents.org ; www.commonsensemedia.org : These websites contain information about entertainment media and parenting.