This is a collaborative post
As a parent, one of your biggest fears might be negative peer pressure. This is when your child is influenced to do something dangerous or damaging, either to themselves or others, like skipping school or trying drugs. It’s important for parents to teach their child about peer pressure and how to avoid it. Here are some tips from a sixth form in London.
Talk About Peer Pressure
Your child won’t know what it is that they need to resist if they don’t know what peer pressure is in the first place. Share some examples with your child, perhaps even things that have happened to you to make it feel more relatable. Talk about what the outcome of those examples would be i.e., what would happen if your child started smoking because their friend pressured them into it.
Instil Family Rules & Values
Try and create a set of standards that your family should live by and make these very clear to your child. For instance, bullying, bunking off school, and taking drugs will never be tolerated in your family. Of course, you will need to lead by example. Your child might push back on certain things and complain that their friends are doing things they’re not allowed to do but be clear with your rules and boundaries.
Help them Build an Identity
Teach your child that being unique and having a sense of individualism is what makes the world a better place. If we were all the same, life would be pretty boring. So, encourage them to pursue their interests, even if the cool kids are doing something different. Helping them build their own sense of identity should help them feel more confident, which should, in turn, encourage them to say no to certain pressures.
Promote Open Communication
Make sure your child knows that they can talk to you about anything by promoting an environment that values open and honest communication. Even if your child talks to you about something you don’t like the sound of, try not to be judgemental as they will feel reluctant to come to you again in the future. Instead, provide a listening ear and give them some constructive advice.
