These days, most of the parents are going through the phase when their kids have become seriously addicted to smoking. What started as a first experiment of smoking ended up being a lifelong habit. This can lead to dangerous addiction and many life-threatening diseases like lung cancer and throat cancer. Being a parents, it’s your duty to help your child get over this deadly habit. If you’re clueless on what to do about it, this post will enlighten your path.
On World No Tobacco Day, let’s pledge to take our young generation out this vicious cycle of smoking.
Here are some prevention tips for parents to help their child stay tobacco-free:
Be a good anti-tobacco role model
If you’re smoking and expecting your kid to not do the same, then this is plain silliness. Come out as a role model for your kid. If you smoke, quit smoking yourself first.
Talk about monetary impact of cigarette addiction
Explain that how the high prices of cigarettes and tobacco products can affect their wealth.
Make your home stress free
Try to minimize stress at home which may trigger your teen to take up smoking
Set your home smoke-free
Set limits that no one- be it you, friends, guest, or your kid can smoke inside the home. This will help control everyone's smoking behaviours
Understand the influence & attraction
Teens start smoking to rebel or in a peer pressure or to fit in with a particular group. Ask your kid about how he/she feels about it and talk about the consequences.
Help your teen to quit
When you talk to your teen about quitting smoking, ask if they have tried it earlier and why they weren't successful. Help him to make a quit plan-
- Ask him to write reasons why to quit
- Set a quit date
- Ask him to hang out with those who don't smoke
- Prepare them for craving
- Consider stop-smoking products
Be considerate
If your teen makes progress or even when he slips, be supportive. Congratulate them on their progress and encourage not to give up. It is equally important for you to not give up.
Offer a treat for smoke-free day
Parents are the biggest influence in the lives of their kids and it's never too late or early to start warning your kids against smoking and other forms of tobacco use.
(With ANI Inputs)
