With her Benson & Hedges tucked between her fingers, my mother used to point to me and say, “You will never smoke.”
I've been smoking for forty years. So, what went wrong?
It's the rebel in every teenager
My mother challenged me to go against her bidding. It didn't really matter whether or not I smoked. In my mind, her top priority was to bend me to her will. I am the mother and I say you will not smoke. She also ordered me to never stand too close to a speeding train. I did that, too. Don't get me wrong, parents must make sure that their children have rules and guidelines to live by, like going to school, helping out around the house, going to bed at a certain time, never taking a ride from a stranger… When it comes to their health, though, it's really important not to challenge them with it, because if you do, you will both lose.
Be a health coach
Let them know that their health is important, not only to you, but to them. Tell them about all the risks involved in smoking (cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure…) and then ask them not to smoke. Make it a statement of love between you, not of pecking order.
