Moms, it’s important that we don’t assume — and accept — that our children will in fact drink. Rather, we need to find ways to help our children develop self-views that don’t include drinking. In fact, Science Daily reports that a study found that the power of positive thinking by moms may limit their children’s alcohol use.
This research shows that it’s not just our actions, but our expectations that impact our children’s drinking. Researchers have concluded that a mother’s beliefs about whether her child was likely to drink or not altered the child’s self-view and resulting behavior. In other words, if a mother believes her child is likely to drink, the child is more likely to view him or herself as a drinker — and then go on to validate that self-view by drinking.
Susan Goodkin is a Ventura County mother and Executive Director of the California Learning Strategies Center.