This post was sponsored by Unity Consortium as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Last week I dropped my baby off at high school. Not only was it his first day at a new school, this school is 6 times as large as his middle school was! With such a big transition, there was a lot to do as we got ready for that big first day.
Get All the Checkups!
We always schedule dental cleanings and annual doctor’s visits for during the summer. The girls had to have a physical to start Pre-K anyway, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get everyone in for a checkup. It made me realize though, if it wasn’t for his 4-year-old sisters, I probably wouldn’t have taken Logan (my teenager) to see his doctor this year at all! I heard a statistic lately that about 40% of parents think their teen should see a doctor only when he is sick or injured. That sounds about right, actually. We only went to the doctor last year for Logan’s major accident and the time he stapled his thumb in English class (insert eyeroll at typical teenage boy’s poor decision making skills). While we were at Urgent Care for the staple, the nurse noticed that Logan hadn’t had a flu shot. I wonder how many times the flu would’ve cycled through my family (because that’s what it does in big families!) if that accident hadn’t happened and he’d missed the chance to get a flu shot?
Teens still need preventative health care
Even though they are teenagers, they are still our children and need some guidance when it comes to health and personal care. I mean, I’m baffled by how often I have to remind my 14-year-old to shower! He may think he’s old enough to drive (not yet, buddy), but he still has a lot to learn about life. I recently discovered Unity Consortium, an organization that brings awareness to the challenges to teen and young adult health.
I know my teen doesn’t think about things like preventative health, which is why I make sure he has annual checkups and has always stayed caught up on his immunizations. According to a recent Unity survey, the majority of parents and teens think that they should be vaccinated, but the number of teens who get vaccines is actually pretty low. Maybe, like me, they only take their teen to the doctor when he’s sick or injured? Or maybe they think vaccines are for babies?
At 11-12 and 16 years old, the CDC recommends adolescents receive vaccines to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, and flu.
Even though Logan isn’t due for vaccines for another 2 years, I’m still going to make sure he has a physical next summer. I believe it’s important to continue to stay involved in my child’s medical care, even though he’s a teenager. Because I am and always will be his MOM.
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