Teen Health Course 3

Chapter 15: Personal Care and Consumer Choices

Parent Letters - English

Parent Letter and Activities
For use with Chapter 15

Dear Parent or Guardian,

We are now studying the topic of personal care with an emphasis on becoming a smart consumer of health products and services. Specifically, students are learning about ways to keep skin, hair, nails, gums, teeth, eyes and ears healthy. In addition, they are learning about choosing health products and services.

Some questions your teen will consider as we discuss this topic are How can I care for my skin and deal with problems such as blemishes? How do I become a smart health care consumer? Which health care products are worth buying? What types of health services are available? What is public health?

We will be exploring these questions in a straightforward manner that respects privacy, avoids embarrassment, and gives your teen solid information that promotes healthy living.

Your help and encouragement is vital to our studies. To support and extend our classroom work, please set aside some time during the next few weeks to complete one or more of the following activities with your teen:

• Ask your teen what it is about his or her appearance that is of concern. Talk about ways to resolve the issue by researching products and/or practitioners that might offer solutions.
• Read magazine ads and make note of television commercials to analyze techniques used by the media to persuade teens to purchase personal care products. Help your teen recognize the influence of body image in ads promoting personal care products.

Of course, feel free to engage in other activities you think will help your teen to be more responsible about personal care and become more comfortable with his or her appearance. Your activities will be a welcome addition to our efforts here. You may contact me for further information.

Sincerely,

Health Teacher