School’s Out, Summer’s In, High School’s Coming
Exams are over. Books have been turned in. Summer’s here. In a few months — high school. It will be a new world and one perhaps with many added pressures, the most prevalent being peer pressure.
Peer pressure is not just for teens, but it is harder for teens to handle since they are not yet emotionally mature. It seems that high school has become the backdrop for a display of status and identity. So, many teens are so desperate to fit in with the “popular kids.”
Who exactly are the “popular kids?” Often they are the ones that emulate the adults around them and in the celebrity world hoping that they too will appear to be “cool” and therefore looked upon in a more positive light. However, sadly they are just imitating others and not being their true selves. How can we who have already weathered teen peer pressure help today’s teens?
In order for teens to feel good about themselves, and not give in to peer pressure, they must have good self-esteem. Having good self-esteem is very important because it affects how you think, how you relate to others and in the long-run truly affects your potential to be a success in life. If teens value themselves, it matters not what other kids around them think or say. Having high self-esteem in a sense “takes away the power” of kids who may be trying to fit in themselves and creating a culture of “coolness” around them.
Parents and adults need to be open to listening to teens about pressures they may be feeling. Teenagers wants to be more independent and make more of their own decisions; however, it is still a wise choice to ask parents for guidance. And parents take note that your love and support is still most important in a teenager’s life; lessening involvement in the life of a teen does not equal giving them more independence. Parents need to listen to their children about the issues they face, set fair and consistent rules, be supportive, and most importantly be an example. Research studies have shown that when parents are involved in a child’s life and education, that those children achieve more.
Overall, the best way to deal with teen peer pressure is to work on building self-confidence and being your own person. This time of being a teenager may seem like forever, but in reality it is a short time. After high school there are more choices that will affect one’s life as an adult, choices such as college, training for a trade, or maybe the military. Whatever the choice, it will be a new world.
The teen years are a time to practice for the upcoming adult years, so let the teens in your life know that they need to stand up for themselves and what they believe in – and support them in doing that!