Not all peer pressure is negative. Much of it can be positive if your teen is in the right peer group. How can your help him or her in this regard?
• First, help your teen to find special interests and peers who share these interests by participating in group activities and organizations.
• Second, look into special peer discussion, education groups, and classes at boy’s and girl’s clubs, churches and synagogues.
• Third, make it easy and tempting for your teen to entertain friends at home when you’re there to supervise. This can increase his self esteem and help you to learn who his friends are.
• Fourth, get to know your teen’s friends’ parents. That way you can unite over matters of curfew and other limits, counteracting you teens arguments that everyone else is allowed to do this or that.
Friends are vital to teens. With your help and support, your teenager can have friendships that enhance his life immensely.
An expert in the field of adolescent behavior, Ms. McCoy has authored eleven books on the subject including the best selling “The Teenage Body Book”. Additionally she has written hundreds of articles for major national magazines. Coordinator of the Clinical Ph.D. Program at California School of Professional Psychology and Staff Counselor at the Center for Individual and Family Counseling in North Hollywood, California.
