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Peer Pressure
Teaching Our Children to Be True to Themselves
By Gwen Morrison
"As your child enters his teen years, he will be seeking the company, counsel and approval of his peers more frequently than in previous years," Glasser says. "Although there may be times when your child will appear to value peer relationships more than his relationship with you, remain present and available in his life."
Even as they reach these years where they are struggling for their independence, your role as a parent continues to be a huge influence on their lives. "When possible, get to know your child's friends and their families," Glasser says. "Invite friends over after school or on weekends. This will enable you to supervise your child with his peers and help you gain insight into his relationship with others."
Parents should encourage their pre-adolescents to join in on activities that promote positive role models and encourage social interactions with a variety of children. As a parent, be aware of who they are hanging out with. Organized activities are often a great way to allow your child the opportunity to meet different groups of children so they are not overly influenced by one particular group or individual child.
"Sometimes children do not feel comfortable asserting themselves with strong peers," Glasser says. "Talk with your child about this issue. If he hasn't yet experienced peer pressure, you can talk to him about how this can happen and how he might respond. If he is currently experiencing a challenging situation with a peer, he may be receptive to participating in a role-play or brainstorming session with you to identify various ways to handle the situation."
When communicating with your child about peer pressure, ask your child for his ideas and allow him the opportunity to tell you what his thoughts are on how he would handle specific situations. It is important that he knows you trust his judgment.