10 Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure ...

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Your child observes everything you do. You need to set a good example for them. Do you constantly strive forth to keep up with other parents? Do you do things just because other people are doing them? Then this is not setting a good example for them. You need to be your own person – who cares what everyone else around you is doing.

If you have a good bond, then he or she will be more likely to listen to you. When a bond between a child and the parent is strong, they are more likely to trust their parents. Besides, you need to have a good bond for your child in the beginning.

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When you are going over peer pressure with your child, you should try your best not to overreact. Overreacting on this subject is not going to get you anywhere with the child. If you overreact, then you are going to scare the child away from talking to you about the subject.

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I despise yelling at my child, it does not get you anywhere. What does yelling solve? Besides a child being upset and thinking you are going to do nothing but yell at them? Yelling at someone is not going to make it sink in their mind any quicker. You need to take this approach wisely. Talk in your normal voice to them.

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When you are talking to the child, help him or her decide what the response is going to be to their peers. Ask them what they’re going to say if someone asks them if they would like to take some pills, smoke pot or do crack. Planning ahead of time is a good idea. Remember “just say no.” “No” is all you have to say and if they try to pressure you into something you do not want to do, then they are not really your friends.

Does your child want to wear the same clothes just because his or her friends are doing it? Do they want to play the same video game because their friend is? Then this should not come to a battle. This is something little. Battling your child constantly over this little stuff is no good. Wait for that high-risk peer pressure to come aboard.

Have you constantly been having to apologize or explaining something for the child? Stop it. It’s time for the child to face the real world. Your child is never going to learn how to stand up for him or herself. Let your child learn how to stand up for himself or herself at an early age. Of course, if it’s something big, then you should go to the rescue.

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You have been doing the best you can do and still, your child is going against your wishes. For example, they still sneak out to R-rated movies, even if you told them not to. Punish them for this. Let them know that you mean business. While you’re trying to help your child deal with peer pressure, they need to see that they will be punished for their actions.

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You should bring this issue out to the open. For example, you saw your child being mean to a child and throw dirt in another child’s face just because someone else did it. Talk to this with them. Let them know that it’s bad and they do not have to copy their friend.

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No matter what you do, you should never shut your child out. You should never tell your child that you give up on them and never tell them that you don’t care anymore. You do not want to push them away, you want to help them deal with peer pressure. Don’t give up. Giving up is only teaching them wrong.

So, there you have 10 ways to deal with peer pressure. Peer pressure is something that nearly everyone has to go through and if the child learns how to cope with it, then they will be more successful. So, do you have any tips on this subject?

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