According to the American Cancer Society, your influence as a parent is more important to your teenager than peer pressure or the media when he makes decisions regarding smoking. If you talk to your child about smoking, he might be half as likely to smoke, even if you smoke yourself. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, about 3,000 kids begin smoking every day. Help your child avoid becoming one of those 3,000 by talking to him today about the dangers of smoking.
Step 1
Talk to your kids before they become teens. From the time they are 5 or 6 years old, you should give them age-appropriate information about the dangers of smoking, according to the American Cancer Society. Know the facts yourself, so that you can pass them on in a matter-of-fact way to your child.
Step 2
Point out the cosmetic effects that smoking has on the body. Most teenagers do not want to have yellow teeth, smelly breath, hair that reeks of cigarette smoke, and loose teeth or other dental problems.
Step 3
Warn your teen of the health dangers associated with smoking. If you know someone who got sick with or died of lung cancer or heart disease caused by smoking, tell your child about it, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.
Step 4
Direct your teen's attention to any commercials or television shows that portray smoking as glamorous or socially correct. Discuss how some teens think that smoking makes them seem more adult, when in fact it does not.
Step 5
Show your teen how much cigarettes can cost her financially. Take a trip to the store, and see the cost of popular brands of cigarettes. Figure out how much a pack-a-day habit costs monthly, and ask your teen what else she could spend that much money on instead.
Step 6
Be honest and forthcoming with your child. If you have struggled or are currently struggling with a smoking addiction, share this information with your teenager. Let him know that it is very easy to start smoking, but very difficult to quit. Make an effort to quit smoking to set a good example for your teen and to avoid exposing your child to any more dangerous secondhand smoke.
Tips and Warnings
- Even if you are having trouble quitting smoking yourself, you can still positively impact your teen's decision-making, according to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Let your teen know the steps that you are taking in trying to quit.
