Peer Pressure and Your Kids’ Friends

Because the teenage years are filled with so much change and uncertainty, your kids yearn for stability and normalcy. Their search for a safe place to belong leads them to the haven of friendships with peers. These friendships are important and necessary as our kids begin to move towards the independence of adulthood. This means that they’ll face peer pressure. That pressure can either be positive – influencing them to make good choices – or negative. . . something most of us remember all too well from the impulsive peer-influenced decisions we made during our own teenage years! Getting to know your teen’s friends opens a wide window into understanding the unique blend of peer pressures your teen is facing. That knowledge allows you to respond to those realities with Godly wisdom, direction, and boundaries. But that’s not all. You’ll be opening the door to other kids who will benefit from – and might even desperately need – your friendship, Godly wisdom, and guidance as well.