As a parent of teenagers, you will no doubt have noticed that there are several different challenges that you have to face when looking after them compared to when they were younger. You need to make sure that they are taking more and more responsibility for their own health. Whereas you might have been in control more when they were children, this should now begin to transfer to them as they grow to become adults. Here are some of the things you can do to best encourage them to take responsibility for their health.
Involve Them in Decisions
If you want them to feel a little more involved than they are at the moment, consider involving them in the decisions that need to be made about their health. They will appreciate the opportunity to speak up and get involved in a conversation about themselves, and it can give them the motivation to begin to speak about other issues within their lives.
An easy place to start could be with something as simple as the type of braces that they want. You could ask them to consider these invisible braces or some other form of clear aligners. By offering them several types of appliances, whether they are invisible braces or traditional wire ones, it will give them a little independence and the chance to make a decision for themselves.
Encourage Them to Stick with Sport
The teenage years can be very difficult as it can often seem like your children want to abandon some of the passions that they once had for another type of pursuit. This can certainly be true when it comes to sport. They will see many of their friends stop playing. What’s more, if they are at any sort of elite competitive level, they will most likely be missing out on parties and other events that could make them very frustrated. Trying to balance teenage life with sporting activities can be very difficult.
It is important that they do take the time to further develop their love of sport. As a parent, you need to make sure that you are encouraging them. If they seem down about missing out on certain things, take a look to see what you can do to make up for it. There might be a way for them to still hang out with friends in a manner that does not impact their training. You should also take the time to ensure that they understand why they are doing this sport. Even something as simple as a casual love can be more than enough reason for them to pursue it further.
Now could also be the perfect time to introduce them to some other types of sport that they might want to try. There are so many different activities out there that they could take advantage of. If their interest is dipping in one area, it might be time to look elsewhere to see if there is another thing that could capture their attention.
Teach Them to Cook
Being able to cook well is one of those adult skills that everyone should have. This is also something that should be fairly easy to teach to your children. You can start with having them help out around the kitchen when you cook. This is a good way to help them gain some of the basic skills needed to master cooking.
You can then begin to challenge them to create new dishes for themselves. For example, you could say that you want them to prepare a meal for the whole family one night, and can give them a budget with which they can buy ingredients and other items they might need. If you are able to give them the freedom to experiment here, they could provide you with a fantastic selection of food that they can be truly proud of.
There are so many simple dishes out there that your children could master. Not everyone has to be able to produce Michelin-starred fine dining, but being able to create simple dishes like a good lasagne or a roast chicken will take them far in life. It will also teach them about the importance of good nutrition, and will hopefully encourage them to stay away from heavily processed foods.
Be Encouraging
No matter how your teenagers might be deciding to engage with their health, you as a parent need to make sure that you are as encouraging as possible. There are likely to be many instances where they might falter and fall into bad habits. With some careful encouragement and affirmations from you, they will soon be thinking of their health properly. The groundwork you lay here will stay with them for their whole lives
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