How To Talk To Teens About Taking Responsibility For Their Health




RadioMD (All Shows) show

Summary: As our children grow into teens (and eventually adults), there comes a time where we need to sit them down to talk about handling and advocating for their own health.  As our children grow into teens (and eventually adults), there comes a time where we need to sit them down to talk about handling and advocating for their own health. Whether its nutrition, a chronic health problem, or personal hygiene, sometimes kids as early as 11 or 12 are ready to take on these activities.  While the timing comes down to your child and their maturity level, there are a general set of tips that can help any parent whenever its time to pass that responsibility along. Dr. Elizabeth Alderman is a nationally recognized specialist in adolescent medicine and the chair of the AAP Committee on Adolescence. She joins Melanie Cole to talk about when to let children go to the doctor alone, how to push kids to keep them active during quarantine, and utilizing teachable moments.