Adolescents begin to use marijuana, alcohol or other drugs for many reasons. Some use it to fit in with friends; others seek the drug out of curiosity or submit to peer pressure. Many, like the majority of our guest’s former patients, use it to relieve anxiety or some other intolerable feeling. Most adolescents are unaware of how marijuana adversely impacts their developing brain.
How do parents know if their children are using marijuana?
The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends parents keep aware of changes in their children’s behavior. Declining grades, missing classes, loss of interest in things they once enjoyed or their favorite activities, changes in sleeping or eating habits, or getting into trouble in school or law enforcement could all be related to drug use or may indicate other problems.
If your children are using marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse believes they might:
* seem unusually giggly and/or uncoordinated
* have very red, bloodshot eyes or use eye drops often
* have a hard time remembering things that just happened
* have drugs or drug paraphernalia – possibly claiming they belong to a friend
* have strangely smelling clothes or bedroom
* use incense and other deodorizers
* wear clothing or jewelry or have posters that promote drug use
* have unexplained lack of money or extra cash on hand.
There is help!
Richard Capriola spent 11 years working as an addictions counselor for Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas, before retiring in 2019. Menninger Clinic is one of the top ten psychiatric hospitals in the United States and specializes in the assessment, stabilization and treatment of adults and adolescents with substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. During his tenure there he worked in the Adolescent Treatment program and the adult Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment and Stabilization program. Working closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses, he was responsible for comprehensive assessments and individual and group counseling with patients diagnosed with substance use disorders. Prior to working at Menninger Clinic, Capriola worked as a mental health crisis counselor in central Illinois.
Now retired, he lives with his wife in a suburb of Houston. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family. He has one son, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.
The Adventures with Grammy podcast is for grandparents who are on-the-go with their grandchildren. It is for grandparents who want loving relationships with their grandchildren and for parents who want their children to enjoy loving relationships across the generations.
This update reflects a few changes I have made to the podcast’s format since I first decided to launch it. Those changes are outlined below.
Each episode will feature guest interviews and three segments:
1. Children’s book reviews and/or interviews with children’s authors;
2. Fun activities to do at home with grandchildren and/or road trip adventures (day, weekend, or week-long) by geographic region; and
3. Memories of Our Grandparents and/or the grandparent experience
If you would like to be interviewed for any of the segments, or if you know someone who would like to be interviewed, please contact me at carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com !
Children’s Books and Authors Do you know a children’s book author who would like to be a guest on the Adventures with Grammy podcast? If so, please contact me or ask the author to contact me. What is your favorite children’s book? Which books should I feature?
Fun Travel Adventures will focus on “stealth” learning and early career exploration … key components of academic success and big dreams. Each season will focus on fun, budget-friendly venues (adventures) within a specific region of the United States. Each adventure will highlight activities grandparents, grandchildren, and parents (if they choose to join in the fun) will enjoy! We will begin on the east coast and travel westward. Fun activities at home include Granny Camp, making butter, and other fun in the kitchen or outdoors!
Memories of Our Grandparents
BE A GUEST ON THE PODCAST!
What stands out when you think of your grandparents? What makes (made) them special? If you would like to share your memories of your grandparents, send me an e-mail: carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com. I then will contact you to set up a time to record your memories and let you know when memories of your grandparents will be shared!
We also will discuss issues and topics of interest to grandparents.
Season One will focus on travel adventures in the Mid-Atlantic region: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Season Two will focus on the South Atlantic region: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Season Three will focus on the New England region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Season Four will focus on the East North Central region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Season Five will focus on the East South Central region: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Season Six will focus on the West North Central region: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Season Seven will focus on the West South Central region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Season Eight will focus on the North West Mountain region: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Season Nine will focus on the South West Mountain region: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.
Season Ten will focus on the Pacific region: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.
Our hope at Adventures with Grammy LLC is grandparents always will hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts, and when grandparents are memories grandchildren, even those who were too young to remember each activity they enjoyed with their grandparents, always will remember how much their grandparents loved them.
A podcast for grandparents on-the-go with their grandkids!
I am your host, Carolyn Berry
This podcast is for grandparents who want to hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts and for parents who want to ensure loving relationships across the generations.
I have six reasons for this project: Those reasons are my six grandchildren … Gavin, Cain, Channing, Hunter, Scarlett and Juliet. I want them to dream big!
I am an advocate for travel adventures because I believe these experiences provide children opportunities for “stealth” learning and early career exploration … key components of big dreams.
What do I mean my stealth learning? Learning that takes places when children least expect it! They learn about fractions when baking cookies. They learn about science when baking sourdough bread. They learn about history when visiting a park. The children don’t realize they are learning because they are not sitting at a desk! They are having fun … and the learning sticks.
When our children were young, my late husband and I took them on adventures. History came alive for them … they visited the White House and the Capitol; they saw the grist mill at Mount Vernon and money being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. They learned history, geography and science.
I want to give my grandchildren those same experiences … and I want to help other grandparents do likewise.
How can we expect our grandchildren to dream big if we don’t help them know what is possible for their adult lives?
I am a retired high school teacher. I know first hand the importance of children having a vision for their future. Talking with children as young as five or six years old about their interests and showing them the real world will have a big impact on their education and career goals.
Research shows a direct correlation between high school graduation rates and students who begin to explore career options in earnest during middle school.
One of the adventures my grandchildren and I enjoyed was a visit to a chocolate factory. As we were leaving, one of my grandsons announced he planned to be a chocolatier when he grows up. Until that day he didn’t even know the word chocolatier, or that it was a career!
Another grandson told his brother as they were leaving Dave & Busters that he wanted to work there when he grew up. His brother retorted, “You don’t want to work there, you want to OWN it!”
Adventures definitely give children opportunities to DREAM BIG!
In addition to stealth learning and career exploration, the Adventures with Grammy podcast aims to help grandparents answer three important questions:
1. How do I ensure a special place in my grandchild’s heart?
2. Where can I take my grandchildren that is budget-friendly, fun and educational for all of us?
3. How can I ensure the good times we share will become long-lasting memories my grandchildren will cherish forever?
I have structured the podcasts as seasons.
Each episode will feature guest interviews and three segments:
1. Children’s book reviews and/or interviews with children’s authors;
2. Fun activities to do at home with grandchildren and/or road trip adventures (day, weekend, or week-long) by geographic region; and
3. Memories of Our Grandparents
We also will look at the grandparent experience. What is it like to be a grandparent in 2021? How has grandparenting changed since you were a child? How have grandparents changed? What are the expectations for today’s grandparents?
We will discuss the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship. What does the research say? How has COVID-19 impacted grandparenting?
How can grandparents influence a child’s education? Why is early career exploration important?
Each of the seasons will focus on a geographic region of the United States and will highlight fun, budget-friendly venues with activities grandparents and grandchildren and parent will enjoy.
We will begin on the east coast and travel westward …
Our hope at Adventures with Grammy LLC is grandparents always will hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts, and when grandparents are memories grandchildren, even those who were too young to remember each activity they enjoyed with you, always will know how much you loved them.
I hope you enjoyed this introductory episode of the Adventures with Grammy podcast. Please subscribe and share the link with others who would enjoy listening to each week’s episode. By subscribing, you will receive a notice when I upload a new episode. We will begin a regular broadcast schedule January 2021.
Until then … enjoy the upcoming holidays and let your family know how much you love them!
