Family and Parenting: Information For Families

It may not be any every day occurrence, but peer pressure is a steady issue among children and teens. Some pressure is silly badgering, while some is endangering behavior that can risk your child’s safety. If your child is taught a few simple rules at an early age they are more likely to react better to certain situations when peer pressure is involved.

Peer pressure can also work in the opposite way. By resisting negative peer pressure it is possible to instill positive peer pressure values in children. It is possible for your children’s friends to influence them in positive ways.

Understand that the stronger the relationship you have with your child, the less likely they are to follow any bad examples that they may be exposed to. Your children will react better to certain situations if they are taught how to handle these situations appropriately. Teach your children to ask them selves questions when they are approached with situations where they are unsure. Questions like : Is this wrong? Is it illegal? Am I afraid they will laugh at me? Why do they want me to do this? Why am I tempted to go along?

When a child has solid core values instilled in their belief systems they have a more profound reasoning with right and wrong. When taught these virtues of right and wrong children learn to decide for themselves whether something is right or wrong. Try an activity where you present the child with examples of situations that they may be facing and hear and evaluate their response. Explore with them what would happen if they responded in certain ways. They will get a feeling of consequences, right and wrong, and this game may open your eyes as well.

Some children may feel trapped by a tense situation and be pressured into it by shear unknowing fear. Encourage them to avoid giving an immediate answer of YES or NO when friends want them to do something questionable. This can allow them come bought time to make a decision. Let them even use you as an excuse to get away from the situation, such as “I will be grounded forever if I do that!”

Try having your child practice the following steps to resist peer pressure: Have them look at the person, Using a calm voice to answer, they should state clearly that they do not want to engage in that activity, they can suggest another activity and offer a reason, stay persistent and say “No” with every come-back, and finally, teach them to leave or ask the other person to leave if it persists.

Just a few simple steps and a child’s day can be that much safer while at school or even while just being with friends.