peer pressure vs the family: the struggle for dominance.
It is not new that the struggle between peer groups and that of the family has been around over the years. The pressure that comes from friends has been so strong that most times it supersedes that of the family. The victims of peer pressure are the adolescents who sometimes succumb to the antics of this anomaly.
As a child grows up, he happens to surround himself with friends from home, schools, and organizations, oftentimes he is influenced by what they do and their modus operandi becomes his lifestyle most times against the training he got from home. At this point, there is a struggle between the peers and the family. And if care is not taken the family loses out and the child is gone forever.
Many factors contribute to a child falling for peer pressure and they are; the failure of the family to train their children well. When parents fail in the upbringing of their ward, the gap is filled by his friends. A child is born blank hence it is left for parents and caregivers to train them up to a morally right standard. When this is not done, then there are bound to be problems.
Moreover is the high handedness of some parents towards their children. Some parents are guilty of shouting at their children, beating them up as well as using derogatory words on them, when this happens the children may find solace among their friends who would advise them otherwise.
It is always pretty disappointing when children start taking advice from their friends over the advice given to them at home, this is always the highest point of peer group pressure. This sometimes happens because the children have lost confidence in you as a parent. Or probably they are seeing you as a threat to their well-being.
Another disappointing thing is when children rather tell their friends about their problems and challenges rather than their parents then there is a lacuna somewhere. It's either the children trust their friends over their parents or they see their parents as a threat. It happened in my family that my cousin became pregnant and none of the parents knew about it, only a few of her friends.
This struggle will continue, it is now left for parents to decide the winner. Family can only win this fight with love and tolerance. Love is the greatest asset in cases like this. Let your children know that you love them, and let them also earn your trust. Don't do things that hurt them rather correct them with love.
Moreover, monitor the types of friends your children keep. Bad companies will corrupt good habits. Ensure that you spend time advising them and buying good books for them to read, it will help them. Above all, be the talk. Be whatever you ask them to be. Be a role model, an instrument to reckon with. And be successful in whatever you do, this will propel them to like what you are doing.
With this family will win the struggle against peer pressure.