How To Discuss Your Plastic Surgery with Your Child

If you are considering plastic surgery, you may be wondering how to discuss this with your child. Especially if it is major surgery, they may be wondering why their parent's appearance has changed so much, or why you have to spend a week in bed and can't play with them. Plastic surgery can be a confusing topic, especially for younger children. While your experience will obviously vary on a case-by-case basis, there are a few topics you should cover when discussing your plastic surgery with your child:

1. Your children are beautiful. If you are getting a new nose or any other cosmetic change, your children, especially preteen or teenaged children, may wonder if they, too, are in need of surgery to correct a problem appearance. Reassure them that they are beautiful just the way they are. Hopefully, you have been building up their self esteem for their whole life so that they already know this. Your children likely never noticed a "flaw" in your body, and your plastic surgery may make them think that there is a "flaw" in their own body that they had never noticed before.
2. Be prepared to say no. For older teenagers, they may feel that now that you've had plastic surgery that it is acceptable for them to undergo similar procedures. If your teenagers ask for such procedures, be prepared with your reasoning for why they cannot. If they are 18, however, know that you cannot stop them from undergoing such procedures.
3. Explain the procedure medically. This is particularly important if your procedure requires a recovery time during which you will be unable to partake in regular daily activities, or when bruising or other side effects may be noticeable. Your explanation should be age-appropriate and not focus too much on pain or other aspects that may scare your children.
4. Phrase it in a positive light. Remember that your children may have only been exposed to a doctor's office or hospital environment when someone was hurting or sick. Explain that this surgery is not because you are in pain or hurting, but rather to make you feel good, and look even better than before. Be positive about the procedure, but try not to make it sound like it is necessary in order for your kids to be considered beautiful.
5. Let them know you're still the same person. If you have young children, they may initially panic that you are not the same parent, particularly if your appearance has changed dramatically.

With more and more parents undergoing plastic surgery or "mommy makeovers" as they are sometimes called, there are more children affected by such procedures. It's important not to overlook your children before and after the procedure. You may be surprised with what your children will notice. Don't try to have plastic surgery without telling them; they will surely notice, especially if it's a relatively involved procedure with downtime.