Parents Versus the Lazy Teenagers

If you talk to the majority of parents and experts in the world they will tell you that the number of lazy teenagers have increased with the onslaught of modern technology. It would appear that teenagers today are doomed to obesity because they are spending too much time in front of the television and computer and can't seem to pry their cell phones from their ears. Parents remember a time long before computers and cell phones. Their fondest memories seem to be of excursions with friends participating in activities that provided ample opportunity for them to show their creative side. They view their lazy teenagers as prisoners to information technology. They blame themselves for providing these luxuries to their children and leading them astray. Perhaps there is some truth to all of this. But there is more.

First of all there have always been lazy teenagers. The difference is that many parents today do not push their children as hard as they, their parents or their grandparents were pushed. There was no doubt a time when teenagers were expected to perform numerous chores that were detrimental to family survival. The work was hard and the opportunities for fun were even more appreciated. This does not mean that some of those teenagers did not have a lazy streak only that this feeling was vetoed on a regular basis. Second of all we have to remember that modern technology has not only created lazy teenagers but lazy adults as well.

Technology has made all of our lives easier. All of the sudden the need for physical activity has become a goal rather than a part of life.

We can agree that technology has helped to create the lazy teenager monster. It is a hard monster to defeat.

The bottom line is that the computer, television, cell phones and other gadgets of modern technology are fun. They are entertaining and some of it can even be educational but few offer the benefits of physical activity. There are ways to deal with the lazy teenager. As parents you have to control access to these time consuming activities and offer options that are just as fun and interesting for your child. Choose a day during the week that is dedicated to family physical activity. Engage in yard games, go bowling, do anything that will allow your lazy teenager to get some exercise and develop their creative interaction.

The best part of this process is that you build upon the relationship with your lazy teenager and provide yourself with badly needed exercise as well. Don't create this to be a punishment. Build it up to be a family night that should mean a lot to everyone. The key here is consistency. Plan it and stick to it at all costs. Also don't be afraid to find some physical work that needs to be done around the house like cleaning out a shed or painting and pay your teenager a little money to do it. It does not have to be a parent verses lazy teenager scenario. Search for opportunities together that will turn your lazy teenager into a physically active participant in the world around them.