[AD*] The age at which we start caring about our peers and their opinions starts at the early age of 7 years old. Children look to impress their friends and seek to fit in, especially when they approach their teenage years and try to explore who they are. While it may seem rather normal, children can get swept up by the social pressures and they can have a lot to deal with mentally. Peer pressure as it’s called can also influence them to act in a way that they otherwise wouldn’t and even land them in trouble. Here are some tips from Hampton Court House on how to help your child through these years and resist peer pressure.
[Photo by Amir Hosseini on Unsplash]
Helping your child resist peer pressure
Making friends
Friends and those that we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on how we behave and who we become. For example, if surrounded by those with high aspirations, you’ll be more likely to aim high and work towards achieving your own goals. However, the reverse is also very much possible. If surrounded by children that misbehave and are often in trouble, your child may want to do the same to impress them or feel pressured to. This is where it’s important to talk to children about healthy relationships and making friends with the right kind of people.
Saying no
No isn’t an easy answer to provide sometimes and your child may feel as though they're letting their friends down. However, if they don’t feel comfortable, they should be able to communicate that and one way that you can help them is through practice. You can do this through role playing various social situations.
Self love
If your child loves themselves and are confident in who they are, there is little chance of anyone taking advantage of their insecurities. These are often what bullies target which makes children vulnerable to peer pressure and wanting to fit in. It’s something that you can build with them through positive affirmations and by reminding them of their qualities.
[AD* This is a contributed post]
Gosh peer pressure is so difficult to navigate - even as an adult. So giving children the tools to equip themselves to know how to deal with it at a younger age is really important.
Peer pressure was very relevant to me in school! Peer pressure can lead to hanging around with the wrong people, which then affects you in a lot of ways! It's important to remember that peer pressure is just as real in adulthood as it is in childhood! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Yeah! Combating peer pressure is important. It’s because peer pressure can ruin life. And these are the tips for it. Thank you for sharing.
This is possibly one of the more difficult aspects of parenting. You can lead them to the correct path, but you can't control outside influences beyond a certain point. And after a certain age, you have no control over who they interact with, specifically in school. The fear that my kids could have ended up being the bullies that I hated in school was partially why we choose not to do it at all. That and obviously a variety of other reasons.
Mad respect for you and all the other parents out there!
Great post. It's so important to teach children these valuable lessons. They will definitely need them in future!