Trying to shield your child from peer pressure is a futile exercise. All kids go through it, and if you cast your mind back I’m sure you’re likely to uncover memories of peer pressure from your own childhood too. Wanting to fit in and not be the target of ridicule can make it hard for children to resist peer pressure, but you can help them learn to stand their ground and say no when things don’t feel quite right. Take a look at the following advice from an independent school in Hemel Hempstead.
Reinforce Core Values
Having a solid set of morals will help children say no to peer pressure. The situations we want our children to avoid are usually ones which involve rule breaking, bullying or anything that could put them at risk. Having a strong sense of right and wrong can help them navigate away from any undesirable situations. Teach them the importance of respecting rules for their own safety and wellbeing, then inform them of the consequences of rule breaking or disrespectful behaviour. Discuss empathy and the importance of being kind to others. Ask them to imagine how it would feel to be picked on or left out, prompting them to consider other people’s feelings and how their choices can impact those around them.
Teach Them To Recognise Peer Pressure
The next step is to help them identify when peer pressure is actually taking place. It’s likely that your child will have heard this phrase and understand that it’s meant to be a bad thing, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to spot when it’s actually happening to them. You can run through potential scenarios, such as bullying or skipping class, but it’s impossible to give your child a comprehensive list of every scenario which could be a red flag. It’s best to try and teach your child to use their intuition to figure out when peer pressure is occurring. Does the situation make them feel uncomfortable, guilty or scared? Do they think they could get in trouble for it? Talk about the feelings that could come up in the moments of peer pressure and teach them the importance of listening to their gut.
Give Them The Confidence To Say No
Even if your child is armed with a solid set of values and has the ability to recognise when peer pressure is taking place, standing apart from the crowd is still not always going to be easy. Teach them the power of saying ‘no’. Being assertive is the best way to handle it, they can offer an explanation if they want to, but shouldn’t feel they have to justify why they don’t want to do something. Asserting values is a sign of strength and you should teach your child that this is something to be proud of. Give your child examples of current public figures and people throughout history who have gone against the grain and stood up for what they believe in to give them some inspiration
