Acquiring Habits… from your Parents

I watched my mother smoke for years. When I first became a regular smoker I reasoned that if my mom was OK smoking, I would be too. What I didn’t realize is the long term health effects that are not evident on the outside, such as tooth decay and breathing difficulties. I acquired asthma after I started smoking and now I get so sick around cigarette smoke I must leave the room if someone lights up.

Our influence on our children’s behavior, good or bad, is limited for sure. We only have the first 18 years or so to impress upon our children how important it is to brush your teeth, get enough rest, do your home work, share with others, spend money and time wisely and not use drugs. These habits are mostly learned through example, and if we really don’t want our kids to pick up smoking, then we have to bite the bullet and quit ourselves.

So what if we fail? Almost everyone stumbles on the road to becoming a non-smoker. I know I did, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop trying, or that our failed attempt somehow increases our children’s chance of picking up the habit themselves. In fact, if we are honest with our children when talking with them about our struggle, that may provide an even greater deterrence. Tell your kids how much you hate cigarettes, tell them how much you’d like to quit, and by all means try quitting again. Not only are your chances of success greater the second and third time around, you will send a strong message to your kids that taking care of your health is one of the most important aspects of life and quitting is certainly worth the effort.