Last week I spoke to the youth at my middle schooler’s career day. It was not easy preparing a presentation that would engage a room full of teenagers. Health and wellness is the last thing on their minds and anyone who comes in and tells them to take it seriously is not going to be a friend. Despite the fact that these were great kids from good families, I did have a couple of snarky comments fly about and it wasn’t until I shared my story that I got their full attention and some good questions!
The very next day, the elementary school my younger one goes to was hosting their very own career day which I figured would be a cake walk after the one with the eight graders! I may have been a tad over confident because as tech savvy as I thought I was, my presentation for the little ones didn’t work! I winged it of course, and survived to tell the story but here are a few lessons I learnt from speaking to the young:
speak your truth and they will listen
This is especially important when it comes to teenagers. They are not easily impressed and need more substance than someone just telling them to take care of their health. It took sharing my own journey to health to get them interested and their curiosity peaked.
You need not aim to get through to the whole crowd, even if you have made an impact in one kid’s life, you can consider that a success.
the earlier you start on healthy habits, the easier it is
When speaking to the third graders, it was easier to talk to them rather than at them. They were more engaged and shared about their habits more easily.
They were also more receptive to recommendations and were pretty aware of how healthy habits can benefit them.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email address and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
I am so happy I had the opportunity to speak to the younger generation. It truly is the most rewarding part of my work and I hope to continue inspiring them to put their health first!
I was asked by a few of the eighth graders whether I have a Youtube channel or live cooking classes and so I had my son create an account for me and plan to post videos of healthy recipes every so often. I have them posted on the home page of this site as well as on You tube (Eat.Drink.Pure) Do go check them out and let me know below what you think. I really appreciate any feedback!
Below, I have the presentation I put together for the third graders. I hope it will help you understand too what a Health Coach does and how one can help you. Please share with your friends and family or anyone you know who would benefit from working with a Health and Wellness Coach today!
https://www.icloud.com/keynote/0I5IEv7fn5Fc9780Qaw8FsCfg#CME_Career_Day
Leave a Reply