Have a teenager at home? Then instilling healthy habits in them must be one of your biggest challenges as a parent. However, Dr (Major) Gurveen Waraich Garekar, a certified consultant dermatologist and co-founder and director of Garekars MD Dermatology Clinics, outlined five simple hacks to ease the process. From teaching kids about kindness to not stopping them from applying makeup, this practical advice can help build healthy habits in teenagers. She shared a series of videos in an Instagram post, serving as a guide for parents with teenagers at home.
Take a look at the post here
These are some of the key pieces of advice provided by the dermatologist:
Makeup
Dr Garekar says, “Please understand, they won't stop doing makeup if you or I tell them to. So let's teach them the right method of doing makeup.” What is the solution?
Tell them not to put makeup directly on their skin.
Apply a layer of moisturiser first.
Don't do makeup daily. Skip some days.
And, very important: never sleep with your makeup on. Make sure to clean it before sleeping.
Skincare
She recommends parents teach their kids the habit of following a basic skincare routine – cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. The dermatologist mentions, “They don't need to do 10 skincare steps, but this should not be the case that they didn't wash their face for straight four days, especially for boys.”
Meanwhile, she also revealed that she “still feels that doing a 10-step skincare routine is way worse than doing nothing.”
Diet And Lifestyle
The dermatologist emphasises, “If they love pizza and chocolates, please don't force them to leave it.” Teach them portion control –
Downsize your cold coffee glass.
Do not finish that full chocolate bar.
And fix your junk days.
Adequate Sleep
“I recently read somewhere that this is the most sleep-deprived generation of teenagers, which is sad because sleep is important. So if they are not ready to sleep early, teach them the concept of sleep consistency,” Dr Garekar reveals.
What is sleep consistency? According to the dermatologist, it means sleeping and waking up at fixed times. She shares, “So if you have to sleep at 12 at night, then sleep at 12 every night. Not that you sleep at 1 or 2, or 12 each day. And wake up at a fixed time.”
Kindness:
She mentions, “We see teen kids in our OPD quite often, and at times I'm shocked at what all mean things kids say to each other, and they learn from us. Please refrain from using words like fat, skinny, black, and fair at home. Teach them that body shaming is a crime. It can literally damage a child's confidence for life.”
These five simple hacks show that developing healthy habits in teenagers does not have to be a daunting task.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
