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When your child is young, almost any problem can be whisked away with a hug and a kiss. The issues facing teens are much more difficult The problems that face today's teens; drug abuse, alcohol abuse, teen sexuality, smoking, and pregnancy can't be solves so easily. These issues take a well thought out plan to solve. When are kids are young we spend a lot of time teaching right from wrong. With teens, this teaching is much more important and needs to be practiced just as much. Here are some specific steps you can take to help your teen deal with peer pressure. 1. I know who I am: A good portion of your teenage years are spent trying to figure out who you are. If we don't help our teens figure this out, their friends and the TV will. Make sure to spend time helping your teen to visualize and vocalize who they want to be. Then, when it is time to make a decision, have them ask "Does this fit with who I want to be?". 2. What am I getting into?: Anytime your teen leaves the house make sure that both of you know what they are getting into. Make sure that you are both comfortable with what will be going on where they will be. If either of you aren't comfortable with the situation, make an excuse for your teen not to go. 3. Know what questions to ask: Make sure your teen has a good arsenal of questions to ask their friends to find out what will be going on. Who will there? Are there parents there? Will there be alcohol or drugs there? It might be embarrassing the first time for your teen, but make sure they understand that their safety is more important than a slight bit of embarrassment. 4. HELP is just a phone call away!!!!: Your teen may find himself or herself in a situation that they know you would not approve of. Make sure they know that they can call you for help no matter what situation they find themselves in. Your teen needs to feel confident that they can count on you when they need you most. 5. Can you say "No!": Telling their friends "no" can be very difficult for your teen. Practice role playing where you are your teen's friend who is trying to get them to do something they shouldn't. Try everything a teen would like "Come on, everyone is doing it", "Don't be a baby", "Are you scared?". Teach your child how to respond to each of these situations 6. Make me the bad guy: Your teen is most likely afraid of looking like a "goody two shoes", even though they may want to do the right thing. Tell your teen it's ok to blame you. Have them try "No way, my dad would kill me if I did that. It's not worth it". It's likely that their friends will be able accept that excuse. 7. What is a "real friend": Ask your teen why a good friend would ask them to do something that they were uncomfortable with. Your teen should examine the motives of that "friend". Maybe they really aren't a friend. 8. Now that guy is cool: See if your teen can make a list of a few people who they think is cool. Chances are this person isn't cool because they were following the crowd. Chances are cool that this person is cool because they went a different direction and did their own thing. Make sure to point out that doing your own thing is cool, not following the crowd. 9. Confidence Building 101: Being a parent is hard work. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in what isn't right, what isn't getting done that we loose focus on what is right. Our teens need to hear how much we respect them, how much we love them, and how proud we are of them. If they don't get positive reinforcement from us, they will turn to their friends even more. Try bragging about your teen to another parent when your teen can "accidentally overhear you. They will beam! 10. Make plenty of family time: At the end of the day, the best defense against peer pressure that you can give your teen is a strong family bond. When it is all said and done, your teen will lean on you for support if they know they can count on you. Raising a teen is tough. They are facing some really difficult issues as are you. You will both make mistakes. Make the mistakes out of love, not pride or stubbornness and always be willing to forgive each other. Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com
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