Losing their grip: what parents worry about with their teens
Dinner table disagreements
And more than half of parents argue with their teens about their diet, with the need to eat more fruit and vegetables top of the list.
With a bigger range of snacks to choose from, it is no surprise many parents think their offspring are indulging in more junk food than they did at the same age.
When our children are young, it’s easy to know exactly what they are doing, who they are with and what they are having to eat and drink.
Even when they start school and nursery, you still get a good idea of what they are doing from teachers and notes sent home.
As a result, parents are left trying to guess what they have had to eat and whether or not they are getting everything they need.
The Vitabiotics Wellteen Study
The study of 2,000 parents of teenagers aged 13-18 found six in ten feel like they’ve lost control of their children as they’ve become more independent.
But this means 63 per cent of parents worry about their children getting all of the vitamins they need for a healthy diet.
The research, carried out via OnePoll.com, found 12 per cent of parents admitted to having no idea how many chocolate bars their kids are eating while another one in ten struggle to keep tabs on the number of packets of crisps they tuck into.
The same number couldn’t say how many glasses of fizzy drink are consumed while more than one in 20 have no idea if their children are eating the fruit and veg they should be.
It also emerged that just over four in ten parents think their child has tried an alcoholic drink – when in reality 44 per cent of teenagers claim to have already had their first taste of booze.
And almost one in five teens have smoked a cigarette, something just 16 per cent of parents think is the case.
Comments (1)
Good morning!
LOVE your website – really helpful and supportive.
I have a 13 year old son and I bought him your Wellteen Him Plus vits. He is supposed to take them with his evening meal but often forgets. I told him to take them with his breakfast. However the box clearly states they are to be taken with his main meal. Breakfast consists of a small fruit salad, brioche 🙁 a small glass of full fat milk and when he can be bothered cereal.
Is it ok for him to take them at this time? I don’t want him to compromise his stomach lining.
I look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Sarah