Helping Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure

Children like to follow or at the least impersonate the habits of their friends and peers from time to time. While peer interaction is a quintessential part of their life and essential for their growth, peer pressure can also have perilous effects. As one of the top schools in Bengaluru, we are constantly trying to cultivate a healthy peer culture and promote the individuality of every child. 

As per the definition stated by Merriam and Webster, peer pressure is "a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one's age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them."

True to what is implied, children do get influenced and might like to do the same things as others, without analysing whether or not it benefits their growth or hampers their progress—as such, dealing with peer pressure is definitive for the parents and even challenging in the age of social media. As one of the top international schools in Bangalore, here are our insights for the parents to help their children deal with peer pressure. 

• Do not overreact

You may hear things that distress you when your kids tell you what their pals are up to. Your children will not want to discuss these topics again if you overreact or put them through a lecture. Maintain as much calm as possible by refraining from yelling, accusing, or lecturing. Instead, utilize the situations as opportunities to teach your kid about the dangers of what might be a risky or bad behaviour or habit.

• Strengthen your relationship with your kids

A solid, healthy relationship with your children will help you get through difficult times as a family. Make an effort to form a deep bond with your child. Discuss their day with them and learn about their routines and habits. By establishing this bond early on, you will be laying the groundwork for future unpleasant conversations. Your bond will also work as a comfortable cushion to rest their opinions and interests. As such, guiding them out of any negative peer influence becomes easy.

• Celebrate their uniqueness

One of the possible reasons kids fall for peer pressure is when they are not appreciated for their uniqueness. As one of the top schools in Bengaluru, we celebrate the individuality of every child and encourage the parents to do the same. Do not be afraid if your child has different interests; that might be a positive aspect of growth where they can decide what suits their individuality. Encourage healthy competition and avoid constant comparisons with classmates and peers. 

• Teach them who a good friend is

Encourage your child to see that a friend who pushes him to do anything risky, harmful, or illegal is not a true friend. Create an understanding of what a friend should or should not do. Teaching kids about healthy friendship is a promising step for their life ahead and help them choose the right companions along the course of their lives. It is vital to help the kids understand that friends are not supposed to belittle them for not acting or participating in certain activities and respect their choices. 

• Get to know your child's friends.

To help your child from negative peer influence, you should know who their friends are. Listen to your child when they speak about their friends and observe what the communication is about. You can also arrange small get-togethers for your child with their friends and interact with the parents of the other students. In addition, schools often conduct events involving parents, which are an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about your child's surroundings and companion. 

• Understand why kids give in to peer pressure

Some children succumb to peer pressure to be accepted or because they believe it would help them fit in. Some worry that if they do not join the group, other youngsters will tease them. Others accompany them out of curiosity. Perhaps they wish to do something similar to what others are doing. Even if they know better, they might go along because "everyone else is doing it."

One of the primary ways to deal with negative peer influence is building self-confidence amongst the children, making them realize that it is essential to respect each other and that it is absolutely fine to be different and unique. 

At Millennium World School, we try to channel peer interactions to better the children and for holistic growth. Thus, we keep a keen eye on the behaviour of our students and positively explain to them what is right and what is wrong. We are not just another private school in Bangalore trying to trudge with a general concept of teaching-learning practice. 

We are a global community of educators and lifelong learners, including parents. Thus, all your concerns about your child's growth and learning are imperative for us, and we are there to aid you with our knowledge and expertise. 

Contact us to know more about the school, its vision, curriculum, and culture.