PARENTAL PEER PRESSURE

Do you experience peer pressure? Not peer pressure in the lives of your children, but in your own life? Have you ever been out with another parent and their child does something you don't allow your children to do, but you allow your children to follow along? Why is that? Peer Pressure! Or maybe you're the parent that allows your child freedoms that another parent doesn't and you see the other child look at his/her parent for direction and that parent gives in. What is that? Peer Pressure!


It may be matters of eating between meals, watching certain programs on TV, saying certain things, running in public buildings, not following sleep schedules, etc. The matters being discussed here may not seem "major", but they are important. They are important, because they are the rules you've establish in your home. They are important enough to send the message to our children to stand firm even in the little things.We know that teenagers are susceptible to negative peer pressure, but have we ever stopped to consider that we taught them to be that way. From very young, our children look to us to teach them what is right or wrong. When we don't follow our own rules, have you noticed how quick they are to point it out. They are constantly looking to us as an example.


In the same way, when they see us dishonoring the rules when we're at a friend's house, or out in public, they get the message that rules can be broken to suit our mood, circumstances, surroundings or company.


Let's be strong in the Lord for our children (Ephesians 6:10). Let's show them that we're parents who have integrity; Parents who believe what we teach. If our friends are truly our friends, they will still love us and may even respect us for our courage. In the very least, our children will respect us and we will be doing what is right (Romans 8:31). Then, when the major issues of smoking, witchcraft and oral sex present themselves in their pre-teen and teen years, our children would have the courage to stand firm--having learned from us.


(c) Leuanna Matheson 2007