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Believe it or not, peer pressure begins in the tender years of toddler hood. Children look up to others to see what they should be doing or shouldn't be doing. In a way, youngsters are trained in the early years to more or less do what the adult says or does.
Peer pressure is defined as the influence of your peers or friends. During the toddler years, it is not so much apparent as when the child gets older. For a toddler or young child under the age of five, peer pressure can present itself in the way of a toy that a friend has that your child just has to have, too. Your child may not just want this toy because it is fun, but because she desires to be part of a group.
As your child gets older, especially in the adolescent years, the child will receive even more outside pressures to deal with. There will be drugs, alcohol, sex, teen pregnancy, and the list goes on. Your child will be mentally pressured to fit into his crowd and if he doesn't have the self esteem and self respect that he should have had growing up, then he may fall victim to some of these pressures.
Self-esteem starts in the early years. A strong bond between parent and child is key. Teaching your child to think for himself is a vital part to his future well being. If the child doesn't know how to think for himself and relies on others to do it for him, he will end up a victim of peer pressure or much worse.
As a baby, you probably didn't get too many choices in life about what you ate, drank or wore. It was all decided for you. As you grew older and became a toddler, choices start to surface. You may have been asked to choose between milk or juice for a drink or you got to pick between two different outfits to wear for the day. Choices are so very important in the toddler years. It trains the mind to make decisions on its own without outside influence. Respect any decision your child makes and praise any good decisions.
A child aged six to ten will have different decisions and choices to make and will have different pressures as well. Friends start to play a vital part in your child's life now. Outside influences will bombard your child's mind. Many kids are confronted about drugs at this age. Kids this young are sometimes not able to fully understand that they must think for themselves in some situations. Parents have a vital role to explain to kids during this period in their lives the dangers of drugs, alcohol and strangers. A good parental bond is essential. Let your child know of these dangers and how bad they are and that they may be faced with having to make a decision one day of whether or not to risk his or her life with a danger of society. If you start young and train your child to understand that drugs are bad, alcohol is bad and so on, he will have the courage and knowledge to make the right decision when and if that time comes. Give your child alternatives, too.
Teens have a whole new world of pressure to deal with. Kids want to be grown up and they want to be grown up yesterday. Trying adult things can make them feel more grown up, but will adversely affect their lives. Their friends can have tremendous pressure on them influencing them to try anything from breaking the law, sex, drugs, alcohol, and so on. If is vital that parents keep a strong bond and relationship with their kids during this time. The teen years can be a very confusing time for both parent and child. Keep in touch with your child's feeling and most definitely keep the lines of communication open. Let them know that they are an important person and the choices they make now can affect the rest of their lives.
Staying involved in your child's life no matter the age is vital to the well being of your child. Guide the way but try to let most of the decision making be done by the child. Respect your child and respect the decisions he or she makes. Give choices and keep the lines of communication open. Keep peer pressure at bay by doing all of the above and your child will have the best chance for a bright and healthy future.
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