Just after other parents advice, my teenager doesn’t want to swim or wear shorts in summer.

[Sam2121]

He is a bit weight conscious and just won’t swim and only wears jeans even though we encourage to wear shorts in the summer heat. Any ideas or do I leave him be?

[Taylor-RO]

Hey @Sam2121, thanks for sharing. It is great that you are asking this question and are interested in how you can best support your son through this. It is definitely important for your son to feel comfortable in the clothes that he wears. Forcing him to wear clothes that he does not want to wear could increase how self conscious he feels about his weight. You could try to encourage body positivity and a healthy body image to encourage your son to feel more comfortable wearing clothes, particularly in the summer time. We have some articles on body image here, if you'd like to have a read. 

If you need more support, you could also talk to your GP or psychologist about ways to focus on health rather than size. This could also encourage your son to focus on what his body can do and fueling his body, rather than on how it looks.

Please feel free to let us know how you go, we are here to listen