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Adolescent Health
Supporting your adolescent - advice for parents
The following tips provide general advice for the overall well being of your growing child/children. While they are not specific to OB/GYN related care; these simple sounding steps can help promote open communication, support and love with your adolescent(s).
- Be a positive role model. Do not engage in any illegal, unhealthy, or dangerous drug use practices. And remember to practice what you preach.
- Be tolerant of a child's individuality. Accept a child for his or her talents and personality. Provide love, support and encouragement to the child in your life.
- Model and encourage good health practices: serve balanced and nutritious meals at regular times and plan fun family activities. Encourage individual expression and creativity.
- Help your child deal with peer pressure. Practice ways for him or her to refuse drugs in ways that fit your child's personality.
- Be sure children have easy access to a wide range of appealing, drug-free, alternative activities and safe, monitored areas where they can gather; work with others in your community -- clubs, schools, churches, and neighborhood groups -- to sponsor and promote safe, healthy activities.
- Discuss pro-use marijuana and drug images that youth see in the movies and on TV, and hear on CD's and on the radio. Ask what they think about these messages. Do they understand their purpose? Do they recognize that these messages do not teach the harmful effects of these products?
- Be aware of the connection between marijuana and other risky behaviors. Car crashes, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, and injuries have all been linked to marijuana use.
- Help children and adolescents learn the health, safety, and legal consequences of using marijuana and other drugs. Be sure they understand that marijuana can be as dangerous as other illegal drugs.
- Some may want to discuss pregnancy and birth control options with their adolescents. While this is a very personal topic, information is available on this website, from your physician and from many other sources like local libraries and Planned Parenthood.
- Help your adolescents learn and understand the health, safety and legal consequences of alcohol.
- Help your adolescents understand the risks and incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDs.
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