What to do about boast at camp about pot
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My son came home and told me two teenage boys on his camp bus were talking about bringing pot the next day to smoke in the woods during lunch. He didn't want me to tell the camp because he was afraid the boys would take it out on him. What's the best way to handle this?
"I think talking about bringing pot and really bringing pot are two different things," says Leah Klungness, a psychologist in private practice in Locust Valley who works extensively with children and families. "You can't dismiss the adolescent bragging factor. Since your son didn't actually report seeing the pot, and they weren't smoking the pot on the bus, it's probably best to treat it as overhearing a conversation. You don't want to cast your child in a narc role."
Klungness wouldn't, at this point, report the conversation to the camp.
If you're worried it's plausible that the boys could get away with smoking in the woods during the camp day, perhaps you should assess whether you're happy with the adequacy of the camp's level of supervision and rethink that camp for your child, Klungness adds.
As for what to tell your son, say, "I appreciate you telling me," and follow up the next day to see if the teens bragged about actually doing it and details about how they managed it. "Then, I would not hesitate to call the camp," she says. "I would call the camp if my son told me they actually had pot."
