Being a teenager can be hard, especially with pressure to fit in. Peer pressure, when negative, can make children feel compelled to do things that they otherwise wouldn’t which can get them into trouble. To help your child resist pressure, we have teamed up with a private school in Beaconsfield to share our tips.
Bad Influences
It’s important that your child knows how to pick their friends as peers have a huge influence on children. Mixing with the wrong crowd can lead to situations where they feel pressured to do things that they feel uncomfortable with and compromise their safety. You can see what kind of social circles your child has by getting to know their friends and their parents.
How to Say No
Saying no is sometimes harder than it seems, especially for children that don’t want to upset their friends. By teaching your child that it’s okay to have their opinions and beliefs, you can teach them to stand up to others and assert themselves when others try pressurising them.
Role Play
You can also role play how to say no so that they feel comfortable with doing it. It can also help them to recognise when they’re being pressured and alert them to danger.
Practise Self-Love
Peer pressure relies on insecurities and a fear of rejection. Confidence and self-acceptance are its biggest barriers and can help your child to stand up against it. You can preach self-love by practising it yourself and showing how you deal with your insecurities positively.
Ask Their Teacher to Keep an Eye Out
At school your child will have lots of teachers keeping an eye on them, especially their form tutor whose responsibility it is to look after their welfare. They’ll be able to tell you about any concerns like disruptive behaviour and children that may be having a bad influence on them.