“Let's Not Talk About It”: Parents' Reasons for Not Discussing Alcohol Use With Emerging Adult Children

Purpose: It is unclear why parents avoid discussing alcohol use with their emerging adult (EA) children. Understanding parents' reasons for not communicating could inform parent-based interventions (PBIs) aimed at encouraging constructive discussions. The current study adds to the literature by examining common reasons parents avoid discussing alcohol use with their EA children. Methods: Parents of EAs completed a web-based survey that included items assessing reasons for not communicating about alcohol, as well as measures of alcohol communication intentions, parenting self-efficacy, relationship quality, and interest in participating in an alcohol PBI. Results: Results from the Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed five core reasons why parents do not communicate about alcohol: (1) they lack the skills or resources to communicate; (2) they believe their child is a nondrinker; (3) they believe their child is an independent, trustworthy decision maker; (4) they can teach their child how to drink through modeling; (5) they believe communication is futile. Believing that an EA could and should make their own alcohol decisions was the most common reason for not communicating. In multivariate analyses, this reason for not communicating was associated with greater levels of parental self-efficacy and perceiving a child to drink less alcohol. Further, this reason for not communicating was associated with lower intentions to communicate about drinking and less interest in taking part in a PBI. Discussion: Most parents reported barriers to communication. Understanding why parents are reluctant to discuss alcohol use could inform PBI efforts.