7 Ways To Protect Your Children From Peer Pressure

Not everyone who commits evil acts does it of their own accord. A lot of people are influenced by those around them.
This is why it is very important to teach your children, as early as possible, the dangers of being influenced by friends. Peer pressure among young children is a big issue as it is very likely to escalate when they are grown, so this is not a part of child training that should be overlooked.

Below are 7 ways to protect your children from being peer pressured into unsavory activities.


Encourage communication: As early as possible, encourage your children to talk to you about what is going on in their lives. Do not be too busy to listen, and do not be so distracted that you miss importants parts of the conversation. Employ patience when communicating as this will encourage them to talk to you more.

Build Confidence: One reason why a lot of people are so interested in doing what their friends are doing is because they want to gain their approval. This usually happens when the child lacks the required self confidence that helps them determine right from wrong and stand by it. Make sure you do all you can to build your child’s confidence. Remind them they are beautiul, smart, loved, etc. The more secure they are in themselves, the less likely they are to seek such security outside the home.

Know Their Friends: Encourage your children to invite their friends into your home, or find opportunities to hang around your child and their peers. The purpose of this is to watch how your child engages with his/her friends. Watch for signs that show they find it difficult to say no to them if they want to do things he/she is not interested in. Also, watch for signs that your child is doing all he/she can to gain their approval or mimicking them as opposed to just having a good time with them.

Show The Value of Honesty: A child who ends up losing his/her way usually starts by being dishonest. As a parent, it is your job to show them the value of honesty. Do not overlook even the little lies or lies of omission. Make sure you call them out on it and teach them that there is no alternative to honesty.

Practice What You Preach: All children first learn about behaviours from their parents, so it is important to always practice what you preach. If you are against peer pressure, make sure you act in the same vein. Let your children see you say no to things that are wrong. Let them watch you stand by your beliefs and see that you never sway. This is guaranteed to make them believe they can do it too.

Praise Good Deeds: One mistake parents often make is that they make a big fuss when their child does something wrong and they forget to put in as much effort when the child goes out of their way to do the right thing. Make sure you show them that their good deeds counts as much as their bad deeds. Children will always want to please their parents and they feel confident and happy when this is achieved. So, as a parent, make sure they know when they have made you proud, it will encourage them to keep doing more to get that reaction.

Do Not Ignore Red Flags: Is your normally well-behaved child suddenly acting rebellious? Do not overlook this because when a child is disturbed (especially in teen years), they are very likely to turn to their friends and not their parents. So this means a parent has to work extra hard to reestablish connection and communication. Make sure you encourage them to talk about whatever is going on in their lives. Do not overlook things like heartbreak or pain and assume they are too young to feel this. Many teenagers have fallen into bad crowds and destroy their lives due to heartbreak. So, be there for them, let them talk about this and let them know you are there for them no matter what.
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