Photo: Shutterstock/SpeedKingz
Will you implement this in your home?
By Sydney Taylor — Written on Feb 20, 2022
In 2017, one father named Bert Fulks created an ‘X-plan’ which could save several teenagers from dangerous or uncomfortable situations.
And years later, the plan seems as important as ever to help parents guide teens through difficult sitiations.
In a now-viral blog post, Fulks, recalls asking a group of young people who he with through addiction recovery, the question, “How many of you have found yourself in situations where things started happening that you weren’t comfortable with, but you stuck around, mainly because you felt like you didn’t have a way out?”
Every single person raised their hands.
It is for this reason that he created the ‘X-plan’ for his family.
Like many youths, Fulks explained when he was younger he felt unable to call his parents to escape.
“I can’t count the times sex, drugs, and alcohol came rushing into my young world; I wasn’t ready for any of it, but I didn’t know how to escape and, at the same time, not castrate myself socially” Fulks said.
Now that Fulks is a father he wanted to make sure his children knew they had a lifeline in these circumstances.
“Let’s say that my youngest, Danny, gets dropped off at a party. If anything about the situation makes him uncomfortable, all he has to do is text the letter “X” to any of us (his mother, me, his older brother or sister)” Fulks explained.
Credit: bertfulks.com
From there, the person who received the “X” text will call the child back and say “something’s come up and I have to get you right now.”
“This is one of the most loving things we’ve ever given him, and it offers him a sense of security and confidence in a world that tends to beat our young people into submission.”
Fulks said another important part of the plan is an agreement between parent and child that the teen can admit as much or as little as they want to about the situation they were in.
According to Fulks, this will begin to form trust between you and your child.
Since first publishing this technique Fulks has been asked how their children will learn if they don’t ask questions
In response, Fulks says, “If you’re building a relationship of trust with your kids, they’ll probably be the ones to start the conversation. More importantly, most of these conversations need to take place on the FRONT-side of events.”
Fulks also urges parents to use technology in order to help their children.
“For many of us parents, we lament the intrusion of technology into our relationships. I hate seeing people sit down to dinner together and then proceed to stare into their phones” Folks explained.
“It drives me nuts when my kids text me from another room in our house. However, cell phones aren’t going away, so we need to find ways to use this technology to help our kids in any way we can.”
Fulks’ ‘X-plan’ has been featured across social media since 2017.
Fulks has since released a book titled, “X-Plan Parenting: Become Your Child’s Ally — A Guide to Raising Strong Kids in a Challenging World”
Most importantly, parents should continue to have honest conversations with their children. This could help them get out of a sticky situation.
Sydney Taylor is a writer who focuses on News and Entertainment topics.