I am a parent of two college students that grew up in Howard County. Thinking back to their middle school years, opportunities for exposure to life skill building outside of the home environment would have provided an excellent opportunity for additional growth. Such experiences were rare to non-existent in Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)…
Parent / Adult Blog
The Secret Weapon
I heard an uplifting story on the radio this morning. The DJ was talking about today being the last day of 2020 and asked what one word would describe this year to his listeners? He shared how his daughter used chicken wire and lights to create a sign in their front yard that greeted him…
Parenting Class is a Great Learning Experience
HC DrugFree’s Guiding Good Choices class has exceeded expectations and we are only 2 classes in. The range of topics covered has been very helpful. While I assumed that it would be a class about telling our kids not to drink alcohol or take drugs, it is much more than that. The class teaches us…
Sense of Community at HC Drugfree's Take Back Event
Volunteering at HC DrugFree’s drive-thru Take Back Event during a pandemic was a positive experience. Not only were the staff and other volunteers warm and welcoming, they took the proper precautions to ensure the environment was COVID safe. There were volunteers there doing many different tasks. Students and parents were holding signs and arrows pointing traffic towards…
Clear Understanding, Hope and Help: Depression in Teens
I just read an excellent article that very clearly lays out the aspects of an adolescent’s life that can lead to minor or major depression and the hope and help available. In my teen years I was fortunate to escape anxiety and depression, but I have danced with both as an adult and I feel…
A Family’s Recovery Journey
My recovery journey began about 32 years ago. My 14-year-old son led me into action. He was skipping school and not obeying the rules of our home. I was reacting like a crazed mother. Mainly, I was worried sick about his actions and knowing that he was using substances. I was afraid for his life.…
Not My Kid
Not my kid, not my kid. How many times have I said that in my head and out loud. When the truth was, it is my kid. I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, a nurse and a mother of a heroin addict. This journey was fast and furious starting with marijuana at age…
Local Parent Urges Attendance at Senior Week Program
Last night I attended my first Senior Week: Staying Safe in OC program. When it concluded, all I could think about was that every family that goes near a beach needs to hear this valuable information! While the focus is to keep high school seniors safe as they celebrate their “rite of passage,” there were…
Participated in HC DrugFree’s Drug Take Back Day Event
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 91 Americans die from an opioid-related overdose every day. Now, that average has increased to 115 Americans a day. This is a national crisis that has serious, lasting effects on our society’s public health, as well as our social and economic welfare. To combat…
Drug Take Back Day: Positively Positive Volunteers!
While the weather was far less than ideal, HC DrugFree’s most recent Drug Take Back Day turned out to be terrific! Even while out in the cold, wet, breezy atmosphere of the October 27 medication and sharps drive-thru collection in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot, I knew the weather could have been far…
Another Thankful Parent
My son and several friends were going out drinking for Cinco de Mayo. They said they were going to be safe because they were going to take the train from our town just 3 short stops to a village that had many bars and restaurants where young folks were celebrating the holiday. After many hours…
Recovery Month from An Aunt’s View
My nephew, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Lauren, met on the streets of Dallas, Texas where both were homeless and shooting up heroin whenever they could get it. They were two attractive, blonde, privileged kids from upper middle class homes–bright and well-educated. Their parents and extended families loved them deeply, but could not tolerate their behavior.…
A Parent’s Love and Hard Work – Her Encouragement to YOU
“As a parent of a young man in Recovery, I can say with confidence that it feels good to have hope again. There were times when it was all we could do as parents to face the day, knowing that our son was in the fight of his life. But with love, encouragement and some…
Howard County Story of Hope and Possibilities
“Listen, nothing in life is ever perfect. Nothing ever goes as we want it to. So is life in Recovery. It is filled with ups and downs, emotions crawling to the surface that used to be numb, buried. Anyway you see it, Recovery is a journey. It’s a struggle to fight each day but the…
A Parent’s Back to School Thoughts
Like so many of you, my family has been focused on the end-of-summer rites of passage…back to school shopping, first day of school photos, life revving up into high gear again. Buses and car pools, PTA meetings, after-school activities, the list goes on. Kids and parents alike are both excited and stressed. For those transitioning…
Grateful Mom because Son Didn’t Need Oxy
(To HC DrugFree staff) Remember, I emailed you about my son and wondering whether to give him the oxycodone for wisdom teeth removal? Well….I did NOT even fill the prescription for oxycodone. He did fine with Motrin 600 mg and Tylenol. He said he did not even think he needed the oxycodone. When I told the dentist of…
Dear Maryland/Howard County Parents, Teachers, Adults:
We are now in an age where widespread drug and vape usage has increased; now it is not an uncommon sight for school bathrooms or classrooms to be shut down because of needed cleaning or prevention of rapid drug use. Soon where students leave high school environments or go to college there will be more…
Courage for an Ongoing Struggle
Wow…I just read the blog, “Setting Realistic Expectations for Struggling to Launch Adults” by Dr. Rick Silver. I am exhausted. This issue is my story. I have been stressing and struggling for years to understand, accept and assist my young adult, first to become what I thought he should/could be, then what I hoped he…
