Peer pressure in teens today I think can better be described as peer influence.
It’s less about being pressured to something against your will.
I believe kids are stronger willed today than ever before and have much more information to draw from when making choices.
Peer pressure is more about being influenced by the actions or words of your peers.
What is Mary wearing to school?
What kind of phone does Jimmy have?
Where does the star quarterback hangout on the weekend?
Does cool guy Brady drink alcohol and do drugs?
While I’m sure there is some “pressuring” regarding these things, I think the it’s more about the influence of seeing others taking these actions.
Parents Dealing with Peer Pressure in Teens
Open communication.
Stay up with your child’s life.
Be involved in what they are interested in.
Keep talking to your teenager.
Even if they seem disinterested in talking to you, they like that you are interested in them.
They need feel comfortable speaking to you.
Give your child a way out.
Let you child know that they can call you when they are in a difficult peer pressure situation.
They need to know that you are not going to blow up at them for being in that situation.
You have to be there for them without the immediate judgement or reaction.
Let them know that you are there for them no matter what and it’s okay to call or text if they are uncomfortable.
Build their self esteem.
Part of becoming an independent person is having a belief in yourself.
As parents, we can do so much to instill self esteem.
It starts with a positive message to our kids.
Help your child set goals and make sure they are realistic and attainable.
They need to know that they can accomplish their goals.
Celebrate their successes and continue to encourage them when they fail.
Failure is necessary for growth and overcoming failure is the fastest way to build self esteem.
Encourage a wider base of friends.
Friendships sometimes go bad.
Hurt feelings happen often in the teen years.
That’s why it’s good to make friends in different areas of your life.
School, neighbors, activities and sports are all great sources of friendships.
It’s good to be plugged into a couple groups of friends that can offer support.
How Teens Can Deal with Peer Pressure
Get away from the pressure.
You need to be okay walking away from a situation that is uncomfortable.
Walk away and don’t allow someone to apply peer pressure.
It’s not easy but it’s your best option in a difficult situation.
Use the buddy system.
It’s great to say, “just walk away”.
It’s another thing to actually do it.
Having someone by your side to support your decisions can make walking away infinitely easier.
Find a friend that shares your values and beliefs.
Back each other up and it will be far easier to walk away from a difficult situation with that friend by your side.
Seek out positive role models.
What qualities make a person great?
To find out we have to look at great people.
Who do you want to be?
Who is that you can look at and say, “those are the qualities and traits that I want to emmulate”?
Seek those people out and figure out what makes them successful.
Just be careful that you choose wisely.
Emulating the wrong characteristics will land you somewhere you don’t want to be.
Not everyone’s doing it.
Never fall for the line, “It’s okay. Everyone’s doing it.”
They’re not!
Don’t pressure others.
You don’t want to be pressured into things so don’t do it to others.
Set a positive example.
Be the person you wish others would be.
Find new friends.
You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. - Jim Rohn #quote Share on XJim Rohn said it best.
If you don’t like the person you are then you need to take a hard look at those you hang out with.
Peer pressure in teens is happening every day.
The influence is subtle and compounds over time.
Sometimes we don’t even see it.
Our behaviors, our attitudes towards others, the way we walk, the way we dress and even the way we talk are influenced by our environment.
Be sure that you keep the right people around you.
Not all peer pressure is bad.
Certainly, if we choose the right people to have around us we can be influenced in a positive.
Choose wisely and become the best version of YOU.
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Play Big!
Coach Steve
