The majority of mothers and fathers want their teenage sons to grow up to be healthy adults. But what they don’t always realize is that it’s less about what they get their sons to do as they are growing up, and more about what they see you doing. Believe it or not, you are one of the biggest influences in their lives. Read on to find out more:
Medical and dental appointments
You may be wondering why your teenage son keeps refusing or putting off going to the doctor or dentist, despite the fact that you had ensured they kept their appointments when they were growing up. Well, perhaps the answer isn’t that far away from home, in fact, it could be you that is influencing them. After all, if you aren’t going to your dental and medical appointments, you are giving them the message that as they become an adult, they don’t need to either. Remember teenage boys want anything but to look immature so they will follow this example, probably without even knowing that they’re doing so.
So what exactly can you do about this? Well, the brutal truth is that they need to see you go to the dentist and the doctors — not something that is easy if you have anxiety about these things. Although if you find a place like this Center for Advanced Periodontal & Implant Therapy that offers the latest pain-free and quick healing therapies, it might make things a bit more manageable.
Smoking
Similarly, you kids could be staunch anti-smoking advocates as they are growing up, only to cave into peer pressure to start smoking and use smokeless tobacco when they reach their teenage years. So why, does this happen and what can you do to stop it?
Well, it happens for a number of reasons: they want to look cool and be like their friends, and if you combine this with the knowledge that their parent/s still smoke, you can have a deadly combination. This is because parental smoking can really minimize the potential health risks in their mind. They may be thinking “It can be that bad as mom/dad wouldn’t do it.” Of course, it’s likely they will find out that it is very bad later on, but by that point, they will be hooked. It’s vital that you backup your no smoking message with your own actions for maximum effect on your teenage boy’s health.
Diet
Lastly, as we know that nurture is just as influential as nature, it’s pretty vital that you get your own eating and nutrition in order to set a good example to your sons.
This is because food is such a complicated thing that relates to emotions, as well as to fueling the body. If your boys see you using food an emotional crutch they will become much more likely to do the same themselves, instead, of going for a much more adaptive coping mechanism.
