Teenagers need to be shown the reality about cigarettes and the damage they cause. We can put an end to the sorrow of watching our cherished ones die from cancer, but we will need to begin with our teenager. Studies show adults can quit smoking now with the help of a counselor. But this possibility is next to impossible with teenagers. The teen years is an age in which we want to gain every experience whether good or bad. Our habits start at this stage like smoking. Most of us smoke only to brag about it to our peers and later on it becomes a bad habit. Here are a few tips to help you talk with your teenager about not using tobacco:
1. Generally a kid learns from the behavior of their mother and father. If you are a smoker then the primary step must be taken by you. Get yourself free from the smoking habit and try to figure out the bad effects of smoking in front of your kid. If a child sees their parents using good behavior like eating healthy food then they're more prone to follow those good habits. On the contrary if they see their parents smoking, they'll see it as satisfactory and normal. Only verbal explanation wouldn't help. A "do as I say and not as I do" approach will not work. You will have to stop smoking cigarettes.
2. Talk to your teenager. You can start with explaining to them the features of the heart and lungs and how bad habits harm their smooth functioning. Insert a mental picture of the outcome. Rather than praising the smoking trend, attempt to criticize actors who smoke in films and TV programs. Ensure you do that in front of your teenager.
3. Tell them about the harmful effects that smoking leads to such as: it leads to high blood pressure, wrinkles up your skin, causes cancer, costs a lot of money. Try to encourage your teenager about good habits by telling them about the advantages of healthy living like healthy skin, active body, physical fitness. Look for images online of people with a variety of cancers and diseases they got because they didn't stop smoking.
4. Assist your teenager to get involved in the activities in which they're interested. A kid should learn to develop an optimist perspective towards life. Encourage them to make good friends and not to engage in bad company. Appreciate your teenager on their good deeds and do not forget to scold them on their bad ones. Do not pamper them. Your teenager must be able to judge between right and wrong so they're able to say no to their bad practice when the trying times come.
5. Keep in mind to be honest and forth coming when sharing information about tobacco and the effects it has on our bodies. Teenagers are smart and want to make the right choice, it is up to us to steer them in the correct direction. Only you can truly shape the mind of your kid toward making the right decisions in life, and always remember, actions speak louder than words.
I have three teenagers living in my house and I expend lots of time and money attempting to teach them the benefits of being honest, hard work, and taking responsibility for your actions. If their is one message I would prefer to get across through this article is a short and simple saying that I tell my teenagers daily...HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS!!! There is a right way and a wrong way, the choice is yours, just keep in mind that your decisions also affect the lives of your teenager, handle your business.
