Grow Up Happy -- Discuss and Manage Peer Pressure
There comes a point in every child's life when friends seem to have more influence than parents do. The influence they have on your child's behavior and lifestyle choices can be both positive and negative.
No matter what kind of peer influence your child faces, she must learn to balance the value of being connected to a group with the importance of making independent decisions based on her own values and beliefs.
You can help your child build the confidence to make sound decisions by having regular conversations with her, helping her open up and share her daily frustrations, challenges, and concerns, and letting her know that she can come to you with anything.
In addition, work with her on skills that will help her be assertive.
- Use a firm voice, but don't yell. Instead, use a determined tone of voice.
- Exhibit confident body language: hold head high, keep shoulders back, and look people in the eye.
- Debate topics; encourage her to speak up and be heard.
These skills will help her better evaluate peer input, increasing the chances that she'll end up in a peer group that reinforces positive behaviors rather than negative ones.
Keep in mind that much of the peer pressure that kids are exposed to and influenced by relates to simple things, such as clothing, hairstyles, music, and hobbies/activities.
If your child is doing well in school and not having behavior problems, it may be worthwhile to ignore some of these things -- even if they don't match your taste -- as your child tries to find her own identity.
RealAge Projection: Learning how to take care of their emotional health and well-being will benefit kids indefinitely. If they keep it up in adulthood, at 50 they could look and feel closer to 34.
