Address Peer Pressure
No matter where children grow up or who their friends are, nearly all of them are confronted at some time or another
by friends with bad ideas, ways of testing limits, getting in trouble, and doing things they’ll regret later.
It’s not so hard saying, “No thanks, I have to go now,” to a stranger. But it’s a lot tougher
when a child’s friend-especially one whose approval means a lot to him or her-tries to get them to do something
they know is wrong.
Even good kids occasionally pester their friends into skipping a class or lying about why they were out together so
late. But if friends or acquaintances entice your children to try tobacco, alcohol, or drugs, the consequences can be
more serious. The best way to prepare children to succeed in these encounters is to
role play. Practice similar scenarios in advance.
With the right words at the tip of their tongue, children can assert their independence while making it clear that they’re
rejecting their friends’ choices and not the friends themselves.
Click here for role-playing ideas and developing refusal skills.
Next: Teaching Your Teen Refusal Skills
