Spring Break means something different to teenagers and adults. For our kids, it’s a welcome reprieve in the middle of the semester; for parents, it can be an adventure of its own. One concern you may face is how your kids are spending their days off. When you are at home and your kids are in the house, monitoring their habits is relatively easy and you have easier access to them for a face-to-face talk about an issue like cough medicine abuse. When your kids are off and enjoying their time away from school, however, this may be a challenge. I was looking for tips I could share on how to make Spring Break less stressful for you and safer for your teens. Here is a great article from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention on about.com talking about the ways to prepare yourself and your kids for their spring break adventures: “It is important to let teens know that they are encouraged to develop their independence but that independence comes with responsibilities. Explain to them that while you trust them, you still worry for their safety and expect them to follow the same rules of behavior that are expected from them at home.”