Do you have a teenager and want to help them quit for good? Here a few steps you can take to get them to put them out for good.
Create a quitting plan together
Because of their young age, teens can develop an addiction to the nicotine quickly. You will be able to notice their effects on your child within a couple of weeks at the most.
Sit down and put things on paper. The physical act of writing things down creates a stronger memory than just talking and each time they see it, they will get an urge to not smoke.
As part of the plan, encourage them to decline a cigarette if they are offered. They will be used to accepting from their social group so actually practice with them.
Act out a scenario and get them to continually decline the tobacco. This repetition will help them deal with a real life scenario in case they are in a pressured situation.
Even suggest to them to hang around with other people. They will most likely say no because they’ll be friends. But suggest your teen to hang around with non-smokers friends, not just new people, to keep them away from a smoking environment.
Most of all, if they ever slip up, do not get on their case. Quitting smoking is a tough task for anyone at any age so remain supportive. Give them praise for the progress they have already made. Look for what went wrong and identify a solution so they don’t fall into the same trap.
While they continue to quit, especially at the early stages, offer some sort of reward. After a week of not smoking, buy them a t shirt, jeans, or anything that’ll give them more motivation. After a big milestone, say you’ll pay for concert tickets or take them out somewhere. This will give them a target.
But don’t offer too many rewards and create an expectation. Positive reinforcement is a great motivational method when used correctly but shouldn’t be the only method
