Tips on Getting a Teenager to Kick the Smoking Habit
Three signs that your teen may be a smoker
- Changes in their behavior including changing their clothes or brushing their teeth as soon as they get home.
- They are chewing gum or breath mints more often than usual. Possibly to hide smoke on their breath.
- Their car or clothes smell like smoke.
Three ways to keep your teen away from smoking
- Lead by example - don't smoke. If you do smoke, make a serious effort to quit. Your teen will be inspired by your resolve to get healthy.
- Educate them about the health risks of smoking.
- Leave around articles on smoking and its effects on the human body in places where your child spends time.
Want your teen to stop smoking? Try these techniques
- Get to know your teen's friends and their parents. Let them know you don't approve of smoking.
- Use discipline when they do smoke - "You can't go to the concert on Saturday night, because I saw you smoking outside".
- Use rewards when they don't smoke - "I know you had the opportunity and didn't smoke, so let's go get that CD you wanted".
Use examples or stories to talk to your teen about smoking
- Use articles or new stories as a way to introduce the conversation. This will make your conversation seem more casual and less like a planned lecture.
- If you have a relative in poor health as a result of smoking, talk to your teen about them.
- Find useful information and stories on the Internet.
Encourage your teen to talk to you about smoking. Establish open communication.
- Be honest with your teen and expect honesty in return.
- Establish that you love them unconditionally.
- Control your emotions and reactions if they tell you that they are smoking. Don't attack them. Instead, attack the problem of smoking, together.
If your teen is uncomfortable talking to you about smoking, ask them to talk to someone they are comfortable with.
- Get them to talk to a favorite aunt or a school counselor.
- Encourage them to talk to a friend that doesn't smoke.
- Ask an older sibling who doesn't smoke to talk to them. Older brothers and sisters can be very influential to a teen.
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