Why Parents Should Quit

• Children should learn the facts about smoking and present them to their parents. Inform your parents of the 4,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, as stated on Kidsgrowth.com. Or, bring up the 26,000 annual cases of children with asthma caused by secondhand smoking, according to Aafa.org. They may even be surprised to hear that 63,000 deaths of children each year are due to exposure to constant cigarette smoke, as explained by Kidshealth.com. Hearing these statistics may cause parents to think twice before lighting up another cigarette. Focus on explaining the benefits of quitting smoking, such as how much money they can save, how much more energy they'll have and how much they'll lower their risk for serious health complications, according to Bucknell University. You don't have to lecture him, just discuss how each fact makes you feel and how you want to help him quit to better his life and yours.
  
  

Be Supportive

• Be supportive of your parent quitting smoking or even trying to quit. Go for walks with her, go out to lunch, go shopping or watch a baseball game together. Keeping busy is really important, and if the urge strikes, remind your parent what she's working toward. Emphasize to your parent how proud you are of her trying to quit, and make it known you want her to be around and healthy in your future.
  
  

Help Out

• Quitting smoking is rough, so having an ego booster is definitely a plus. Take your parents out to get makeovers or schedule them a day at the spa, so they feel good about themselves and are able to relax. Pick up some extra chores around the house or start doing better in school. This will relieve some stress and your parents may not need that extra cigarette to get through the day. You can even vow to break a bad addiction for yourself, like choosing an apple for a snack at night instead of cookies. This way, you can both give each other support and steer each other away from temptation, as suggested by Quitguide.com.