How to Talk to Your Teens About Their Health: The b.Real-Life Story
As a mum, navigating the teenage years can be a challenging journey. Between school, social pressures, and the rapid changes happening in their bodies, it can be tough to know how to connect with your teen, especially when it comes to topics like health and wellness. For many parents, discussing healthy habits with their teenagers feels like walking a fine line between offering guidance and avoiding pushback.
As a busy mum myself, I’ve learned that the best way to talk to your teens about their health isn’t through lectures or restrictive rules, but through building a shared experience. It’s about creating a space where they feel empowered to make their own healthy choices, while also feeling supported and heard.
Here’s how I successfully connected with my teen through training and creating food together, leading to a healthier lifestyle for both of us.
1. Start with Connection, Not Control
One of the biggest challenges I faced when I first started talking to my teen about health was that they didn’t want to listen. They were resistant to any suggestions I made about exercise, nutrition, or even getting more sleep. I realized that the key wasn’t forcing them to make changes but meeting them where they were.
Rather than launching into a conversation about how they needed to eat more vegetables or exercise more, I started by simply engaging in activities that we could enjoy together. Exercise and healthy food were no longer things I was trying to *force* on them; they became shared activitieswe both could look forward to.
2. Training Together: Finding Fun in Fitness
One of the first things I did was invite my teen to join me for short workouts at home. Instead of suggesting a boring gym session or a strict workout routine, we started with something simple and fun. We did bodyweight exercises together—squats, push-ups, and planks—and turned it into a bit of a challenge. Who could hold a plank the longest? Who could do more jumping jacks in 30 seconds?
It wasn’t about performance or perfection; it was about having fun and spending time together. Soon, we started to look forward to our little “workouts” and even came up with new ideas for quick exercises we could do together after school. This became a way for me to not only talk about the importance of movement but to show my teen that exercise could be a positive and fun part of our day.
3. Cooking Together: Teaching Healthy Eating by Example
Another avenue I found to connect with my teen was through cooking meals together. I have encouraged my children and teens to always join in the cooking and food prep. At first, the idea was overwhelming for them, I involved them in every step—planning the menu, chopping veggies, and experimenting with healthy, yet delicious, recipes. By starting this process as early as possible helps our chilren and teens to learn life long skills.
I made sure to include foods we both enjoyed, like homemade burrito bowls with brown rice, grilled chicken, and lots of colourful vegetables. Slowly, my teen became more involved in choosing ingredients and helping out in the kitchen. Over time, we make our own smoothies and healthy snacks together, which gave them more ownership over their food choices.
What I learned through cooking together was that it wasn’t just about preparing a healthy meal; it was about creating a space where we could talk openly about nutrition and why certain foods make us feel good. Instead of preaching, I allowed my teen to ask questions about food, and we would research recipes or nutrition facts together. This made them feel more empowered to make healthy decisions on their own.
4. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
As any busy mum knows, finding the time to work out, eat well, and take care of your health can be a challenge. But what I’ve learned is that the small steps matter. We didn’t make drastic changes overnight, and we didn’t aim for perfection. Whether we completed a 15-minute workout or tried a new healthy recipe, we celebrated every little win. This helped keep us motivated and reminded us that health isn’t about rigid rules; it’s about creating habits that fit into our busy lives and make us feel better.
5. The Impact: Stronger Connection and a Healthier Lifestyle
Looking back, I can see how much our relationship has grown through these shared activities. We’ve learned to talk about health in a way that doesn’t feel forced or judgmental. Instead of me telling my teen what to do, we’ve built a relationship where they feel comfortable discussing their own health goals and challenges.
Both my teens are conscious and have an awareness of the food they eat and the importance of staying active.The best part? We both feel better—physically and emotionally—because we’ve made health a shared experiencethat brings us closer together.
If you’re struggling to connect with your teen about their health, I encourage you to try the approach that worked for me: make it a joint effort. Instead of focusing solely on telling them what to do, get involved in the process of making healthier choices together. By building a supportive, non-judgmental space where both of you can engage in fitness and nutrition, you’ll not only improve your teen’s health but also strengthen your relationship.
Sometimes, the best way to guide your teen toward a healthy lifestyle is simply to show them that health can be fun, accessible, and something you can both enjoy. Whether it’s training together, cooking together, or simply chatting about wellness, the key is to build connection—and the results will follow.
Health and Happiness,
B.x