Most parents understand the importance of teaching their kids about health. But what do you do when your child is heading off to college without basic health skills like making doctor appointments and cooking healthy meals? Whether they’re a freshman or super senior, it’s crucial that you discuss topics like personal hygiene, sexual safety and mental health.
Here are a few ways to broach these and other similar subjects and teach your kid a thing or two about health while they’re home on break.
1. Cook Healthy for Homecomings
Do you like to whip up a bunch of comfort food when your kid comes home for winter break? While there’s nothing wrong with adding a few family favorites to the table, it’s important to focus on healthy food during homecomings, too.
Remember to serve plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains and swap out meat for lighter, vegetarian options when you can. You can even substitute ingredients to make comfort foods more nutritious and give old dishes some new flair.
2. Recognize the Risks of Substance Abuse
Many students have easier access to drugs and alcohol at college, which is why parents must recognize the risks of substance abuse and discuss them with their kids.
About one in four college students report academic consequences associated with drinking — including poor grades and missing class. Meanwhile, roughly 97,000 students experience alcohol-related sexual assault or rape each year. Sharing these statistics might be uncomfortable, but your child deserves to know the risks of using drugs and alcohol recreationally.
3. Talk About Mental Health
Americans have been destigmatizing mental health for years now, but their work remains unfinished. Even now, college students avoid seeking help for common conditions like anxiety and depression. That’s why it’s so important to discuss mental health with your kids.
How are they handling college life so far? Do they need help staying focused or seem dissociative? Perhaps they could benefit from speaking with their college counselor or a therapist. Remind them that there are resources available if they ever want to talk.
4. Discuss Dental Hygiene
Your kid probably wouldn’t have made it this far if they didn’t know how to floss or brush their teeth. However, they might be less diligent about caring for their retainers, aligners and other orthodontic equipment. While maintaining and cleaning these items is rather straightforward, it’s important that your kids develop a routine that ensures good dental hygiene. This way they don’t have to worry about cavities and tooth decay down the road.
5. Value Sexual Safety
You should have discussed sexual health and safety with your teen before they headed off to college. However, if you’ve yet to broach the subject, there’s no time like the present.
Make sure your student is aware of sexually transmitted infections and knows how to use various protection methods. Encourage them to get the human papillomavirus vaccine and get tested for STDs if they’re sexually active or have more than one partner. Many colleges offer free testing and protection, so there’s no reason for them not to use these resources.
6. Teach Health Literacy
Many students struggle to take care of themselves in college because their parents handled all their appointments and exams while they still lived at home. Now, they’re the ones who have to schedule check-ups and fill medications, but they don’t know how to. Males, smokers and students who aren’t in a health-related field of study are most at risk for being health illiterate.
That’s why it’s so important for parents to discuss health literacy when their kids come home for winter break. Help your child take control of their mental and physical health by passing the responsibility onto them. They’re old enough to handle it.
Setting the Pace
Even as a college student, your kids still look to you for leadership and guidance. If you want them to develop healthier habits, it’s up to you to set the pace. Be a good role model by cultivating an active lifestyle. Eat well, work out often and fall in love with feeling good. Odds are your actions will inspire your college student to follow suit.
Be each other’s biggest fans on this journey of growth and self-improvement, cheering one another on when things get tough. If you stick with it, not only will you enjoy a healthier life, you’ll also experience a stronger bond with your kids, which sets everyone up to live happier, more connected lives.
