How Do Get Your Kid To Talk To You About Drug Use?

How do you get your teen to open up about their drug use when they won’t talk and won’t listen? That is the topic or this week’s #TipsOnTeens question, which comes to us from a mom concerned about her daughter’s smoking habits:

“I caught my daughter smoking weed for the 3rd time this week. I just don’t know what to do with her. I can’t get her to talk to me. The last few times, I grounded her and took away her phone. I’m limited on what I can do. I’m a single mom of 2 and work 7 days a week to support them. Dad is in a halfway house and has been everything but a parent. He lets her smoke and keeps it from me and makes my son keep it from me. He is an alcoholic who has abused drugs and alcohol. My kids had a rough childhood. They’ve witnessed fights between him and myself. They’ve seen and heard the abuse. I can’t get a straight answer from her if that’s why she’s acting out and being defiant.”