1. IMPACT OF PEER PRESSURE ON YOUR CHILD
Almost all children in their lives experience peer pressure at one time or the other
and even if they don’t want to, they are forced to give into it. During the pre-teen
and teen years, children are highly susceptible to it. Sometimes the impact or
influence is so much that pressure can make the child to do something or be a
person contrary to his nature and beliefs. No matter, how cautious parents might
be but they can’t shield their child from experiencing peer pressure. However,
parents can adopt some steps to minimize its effects.
Develop good bond with your child: First and foremost, it’s extremely vital for
parents to develop an open, honest and close relationship with their child. There
must be a good comfortable zone in the relationship that makes the child likely to
approach their parents when they are in trouble or facing some kind of difficulty.
Know and interact with your child’s friend group: A child’s friend circle is second
family to him. Therefore, it becomes all the more crucial for parents to meet and
interact with their child’s friends. A good bunch of friends will definitely relieve
you that your child is in good company but if it is otherwise then it can be a
constant battle for you. In such a case, you can always make an effort to steer
them towards kids with same morals and values.
Nurture strong self-esteem in child: Nurturing self-esteem in children helps in
many ways. It guides your child to make decisions and follow them, even if it goes
against what his friends or others think. He understands the importance of
making his own choices rather depending on others to make one.
Encourage and listen your child’s viewpoint: Children must be raised in a way
that they become fearless to hold and express their views. Parents at times must
acknowledge and listen to the child’s opinions. An opinionated child expresses his
own mind and speaks his own words.
Help your child to learn from his mistakes: Parents must aid their child to take-up
responsibility for their mistakes. This will avert them from making similar mistakes
in future.
2. Assure your child you are there for him: As the child enters middle school, he is
likely to spend more time with his friends-peers than with his family members
and parents. This often leads kids to look at their peers for opinions. Let your child
know you are there for him and bail him out whenever required. Kids who are
aware that their parents love them and value their opinions have less chances of
getting attracted to peer pressure.
