My Time 4 Talk

 MINEOLA, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice is reminding parents of teenagers that, with prom and graduation season approaching, adults who provide alcohol to underage party guests will face criminal prosecution under the Nassau County  Social Host law. “Don’t worry about being the popular parent. Be the responsible one,” Rice said. “There is no excuse, no explanation, and no reason to allow underage kids to drink alcohol in your home. Make the correct decision. Remember, parents who host lose the most.” Rice will also appear in a public service announcement produced by the Manhasset-based Coalition Against Substance Abuse (CASA) encouraging parents to be responsible.

The PSAs will be shown at three Clearview movie theaters in Manhasset and Port Washington beginning on Memorial Day, May 31 and will run for 10 weeks.

 The Nassau County Social Host Law makes it a crime for a host, age 18 or older, to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. Possible  criminal punishments include a fine of $250 for first-time offenders to fines of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail for repeat offenders.

According to statistics provided by CASA, underage kids who drink are more susceptible to a litany of health problems, including interrupted brain development, increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy, and there is a 40 percent greater risk of alcoholism in kids who start drinking before the age of 15.

I cannot think of a better time to ask children to examine what the sentiment ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ really means to mothers.  From where I am sitting, everyday is Mother’s Day for mothers — be they our biological mothers or special people in our lives who really care about our well-being.   I must acknowledge at this point, that sometimes fathers play the dual mother/father role in the lives of their children.  It is also true that some children have been raised single-handedly by their mothers who have also been charged with a dual role…a most difficult task.

Mothers want to wake up on Mother’s Day, knowing that their children are physically and mentally intact.  They want to know from the way their children comport themselves, that they have a sense of purpose, and that they are truly appreciated for the role they play in their children’s lives; even though their children may not always like the way their mothers go about doing it.  They want to be assured that their children understand that decisions they make now can make or break them in the future, and that it is never cool to be frivolous. Mothers want their children to tell them that they know that they are there for them, as sounding boards, as they navigate their way through life.  Mothers want to hear that thanks to them, their adolescent children now understand that the abuse of drug and alcohol, and engaging in premarital sex is not the new cool thing to do.  Yes, they like for their children to make them feel they too are special!

Mothers would rather use this designated day (Mother’s Day) to hold meaningful conversations in place of the luxurious store-bought gifts their children give them.  They hope that as their children grow older, they will realize that, contrary to popular belief, children with an open line of communications with their mothers tend to be more level-headed adults.  

Our mothers are God’s special helpers here on earth. They have been equipped with the skill set to nurture us, to demonstrate to us how to set boundaries, and to develop and maintain our self esteem. Mothers protect us from harm and danger with the hope that, as we begin to develop emotional independence, we would know just what to do. They know that they cannot be permissive in the way they handle us, for to do so can be disastrous; resulting in our being oppositional, disrespectful, disobedient, aggressive and irresponsible. They have lived long enough to know that if they do not set guidelines and teach us moral values, they will be doing us a disservice.  For all this, I think they have earned our trust, respect and unconditional love – not much for them to ask of us.                             Remember, everyday is Mother’s Day!

I welcome comments from our youth as well as adults.