By MONROE ROARK
Staff Writer

Parents, after being their children's primary role models early in life, need to prepare for when that changes and provide the proper amount of discipline while allowing children to make choices early when the consequences are not as great.

That was the message given by a three-member panel of experts, organized by Superior Court Judge Chris Edwards, at a town hall meeting of sorts for local parents Thursday night at the county's Stonewall Avenue complex.

After a brief introduction, during which Edwards passed out literature to the 20 or so parents in attendance, he turned the meeting over to the two psychologists and one probation officer comprising the panel.

Audience members took an active part in the program, frequently asking questions and engaging in role-playing activities with the panel to learn how to better converse with their children.

One early question concerned just how many young people partake in alcohol and drugs throughout the school years. The answers surprised many.

On a national scale, 13-26 percent have at least tried marijuana — and that's among grades 4-6. Alcohol experimentation in that same age group is 29-45 percent, according to one of the psychologists.

Among sixth graders, 56 percent say they have tried something they really did not want to do, she added, pointing out that peer pressure is the main reason for high numbers in all of these categories.

Edwards offered that, while he hasn't seen hard numbers himself, the majority of high school students have probably tried alcohol. The legality of drinking and cigarette use among adults has helped fuel its social acceptance, he said.

“Kids have a hard time understanding `don't do drugs' from people who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol,” he said.

There was also a great deal of discussion concerning the use of items besides alcohol and “mainstream” drugs. A typical home has 259 possible inhalants which can be used as drugs, said a Clayton County psychologist, who went on to list some of them — spray starch, paint, whipped cream, computer duster spray and butane lighters.

Brain damage can occur with just one sniff, she said. A teenage girl in Lovejoy was killed in a 1994 car crash in which she was riding with a “huffer” who was driving.

During role-playing exercises, parents received tips on how to talk with their teenagers about important issues, especially when the teenagers themselves are not interested in talking. Another area discussed was handling children who seem to be disinterested in school or anything else in life.

Edwards suggested that a good way to emphasize the importance of education is to point out the bottom-line aspect of it — simply showing them how much more money they can make. “They're all materialistic,” he said.

The printed material passed out by Edwards included suggestions to parents, early warning signs of juvenile misconduct and youth violence, tips for parents on safe schools, and helpful phone numbers.