Doctors Empowering Parents
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
I had an interesting conversation with a parent the other day about the role of doctors in teen health. She felt strongly that at the age doctors start having some time with a teen without a parent present (usually about age 12), doctors could really empower parents by telling the teen, when the parent is present, that the parent's job is x, y, or z in relation to the health issue being discussed.
For example, if the issue is getting more
exercise, the doctor should say that it is the parent's job to limit screen time to under three hours a day, organize family-friendly exercise outings on the weekends, or find an exercise class that fits the family schedule. If the issue was
weight, the parent's job could be to keep empty calorie snack foods out of the house, leave easy-to-grab healthy snacks in the refrigerator, and make sure that meals add up to 5-6 cups of fruits and vegetables a day.
What a great idea! This suggestion empowers parents to be involved in the health of the teen without damaging the sense of ownership and responsibility that we want to instill in the teen, and is likely to keep the number of disagreements down, as well! Teamwork - what a concept!
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2 Comments:
At Sat Nov 15, 08:12:00 AM 2008,
Laura Collins said…
Thank you for this post. I'm an activist for parents of adolescents with mental illness, which magnifies the problem - and solution - you describe. Too often, parents are given the message that the health provider is no longer working with the family, only with the child. That transfer of responsibility depends on maturity, mental health, and the matters at hand!
At Mon Nov 17, 09:31:00 AM 2008,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Thanks for the comment Laura, and your work. Doctors and parents make great teams, if each is clear on their role and the confidentiality laws in their state.
I struggle all the time with the fine balance between letting our teens become responsible and making sure they are getting the care and support they need.
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