By Jolene FarleyOn Monday Rock County parents will have access to more information to help them with a tough job – raising adolescents.All Rock County parents are invited to attend a presentation by nationally recognized author David Wilmes from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4., at the Luverne Cardinal Gym.In his presentations, Wilmes stresses we all need security and freedom, so his theory is that raising children is somewhat like running a country. In an adolescent’s mind, limits exist to be tested. He will help parents learn more about how to fight the war on drugs and alcohol. Parents never learn too much about raising a healthy child, according to Wilmes."Kids develop problems with alcohol and drugs because of peer pressure, but what we do and say to our kids is significantly more powerful than what they hear from other kids," Wilmes said about parental relationships."The problem is we tend to give up that power. We are much more important than we think we are." Wilmes, who lives in St. Paul with his wife and two sons, speaks from 25 years of experience in dealing with adolescents and their families. He has worked with the Johnson Institute in surveying 150,000 kids across the nation on substance abuse. He is the author of "Parenting for Prevention – How to Raise a Child to Say No to Alcohol/Drugs," and 13 other books on similar topics.He conducts training seminars that focus on prevention as it relates to parental skills, school programs and community involvement. His presentation is sponsored by the Rock County Collaborative.
