Helping Kids Deal with Peer Pressure

Do you think your kids are experiencing peer pressure? Do they feel like they need to go along with a group in order to fit in? If so, there are ways to help your kids deal with peer pressure so they can better handle it. Let Truestar give you what you need to know to help your kids deal with peer pressure.

What is Peer Pressure?
Typically, people who are in your age group are called your peers. In your child’s case, their classmates would be considered their peers. When your child’s peers try to influence how your child acts by getting him or her to do something, this is called peer pressure. Everyone has to deal with peer pressure, even adults.

Positive Peer Pressure
When we think of peer pressure, we often think of the negative connotations. However, peer pressure can also be a positive occurrence. For example, maybe one of your child’s friends is good at a sport and influences your child to participate in that sport too. Or, maybe there is a classmate that is great at a particular subject and helps your child improve in that subject. Peers can positively impact others each and every day.

Negative Peer Pressure
Negative peer pressure is what we often hear about. For example, a child cutting school or who tries smoking because friends are doing it. Negative peer pressure can get kids into trouble. The main reasons kids give into peer pressure is because they want to be liked and desire to fit in. They don’t want to be made fun of if they don’t go along with their peers.

Dealing with Peer Pressure
Here are some tips for parents to help their kids deal with peer pressure:

• Teach your children to say “NO”. It is tough to be the only one saying NO but tell your children they can do it. Paying attention to their own feelings and beliefs about what is right or wrong will help them do the proper thing. They will need to have self-confidence, self-esteem and strength to say NO and walk away from peer pressure. See Truestar’s attitude section for more information.

• Have your children choose their friends wisely. If your children surround themselves with friends who do the right things and have similar values, then they will be less likely to encounter negative peer pressure situations.

• Develop a close relationship with your children. Children who have close relationships with their parents are more likely to identify with and try to please their parents by doing the right things. Children who have close relationships with their parents are also much more likely to go to their parents when they are in trouble or are having problems.

• Try to figure out the reasons your children are giving into peer pressure and address them immediately. Children give into peer pressure for many different reasons such as lack of self-confidence or self-discipline. Parents should try to find the reasons and then attempt to solve the problem.

• If your children continue to face peer pressure and are having difficulty handling it, encourage them talk to yourself, a school counselor or health professional.

Keep your kids healthy with the Truestar Kids plan. The plan incorporates all the elements of healthy living for kids such as delicious meal plans, easy exercises, healthy supplements for kids, sleep tips and healthy attitude tips. Get them started today!