Teenage Pressure: Being True to Yourself

The society of today in filled with pressure. There are different kinds of pressure which cut across the society. Pressure to belong to a particular social clan, for marriage or dating, fashion, drugs, alcohol etc.

These days, teenagers are exposed to all kinds of pressure no thanks to the society we are living in! Everybody is in a hurry to get the latest car, gadget, or electronic. It is now regarded as a form of social status that you belong to this ‘group’ of people because you can afford ‘this’.

We have seen the impact and the effect on us especially on our children .In some cases, this have actually led to emotional distress, fights and more serious cases like death.

So how do we manage and protect our children (especially teenagers) from this problem. As a mother of teenage children (16 and 14 respectively), this is challenging. As each child have different personalities and different ways of reacting to pressure.

Teenage pressure cuts across boundaries. This is why it is important as parents; we should understand our children, get close to know them more, communicate all the time (whether she is quiet or loud). Keep up the conversation and allow your child to open up, this will give an insight on how she reacts to any kind of situation she is exposed to.

Here are a few tips

Be the Example    

If you follow and listen a lot to what people tell you or talk about you, then, you have indirectly exposed your child to also care about what they say about her. Be a good example.       Learn to filter whatever information that comes  your  way  and  pick  the  one  that  actually  works for you.

Spend Wisely

Do not buy anything for them just because it’s the latest in town. They don’t need the latest blackberry handset, lace wig, car or shoes and bags! Rather, spend on things that would add value to their lives!, Get them a laptop and become computer literate, enroll them for cooking, baking classes. Let them go language classes, let them learn how to play musical instruments! Something that would improve their lives.

You Cannot Please Everybody
 Do your best and leave the rest.  How? As  long  as  you  make  it  clear  to  your  children,  that  there  is  no  competition  between  them  and  anybody.  They  should  understand  that  “there  is  time  for  everything  under the  sun “. Even  if their peers  are  buying  or  using  expensive  gadgets  like  mobile phones, iPods, laptops , designers   stuffs, make  it  clear  to  them,  they don’t need  those  things  to  be  WHO  they are. Those things   should not be used as basis for their identities rather; they should go for more lasting impressions like academic excellence, sound character, good sport records and other wonderful extra-curricular activities which can be related to their persons!

Make your children understand  when the  RIGHT  time  comes,  they  would  get  even  more  things  than what they are exposed to.

Expressing Themselves 

They should learn to speak up for themselves. However if the pressure is so much, make them to understand they can leave the place and get associated with people who have similar interests like they do!
Life is all about making the right choices, make them to understand this.

Love to hear more tips.

                                   

“Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners -1 Cor. 15:33”   

     

“The stress of unresisting unhealthy peer pressure can be buffered by good family relationship and high self esteem, and it’s often those adolescents with neither who succumb to unhealthy pressure from their peers – L. G. Arnold”

        

                Linda Aliogo