12 Peer Pressure Conversation Starters
There are so many things we need to discuss with our teens when it comes to peer pressure.
It can be overwhelming to know where to start and teens can be really sensitive about their friends. Here are 12 questions/statements to consider:
"No means no and you don't have to explain yourself to others." Discuss some ways your teen can say no without damaging relationships. One simple way to do this is to put the ball in the other person's court by saying something like, "I can't go to the party, but I could hang out Friday. Are you available?"
"Is it possible to say no and still be someone's friend?"
"How do you feel when someone says no to you?" You could then talk about how we process and manage emotions if you have the time.
"Your brain and body are still developing and that can make it hard to stand up to your friends. Have you found this to be true?"
"Sometimes I feel like it's my job to make other people happy. Have you ever felt that way?"
"Do you feel like you have to act/talk a certain way around any of your friends? Which ones?"
"One time I gave in when someone told me to do something (insert personal story here) and I have regretted it ever since. Have you ever regretted giving in to peer pressure?"
"Are there times your friends have encouraged you to do something good/positive?" We often think of peer pressure as bad, but I have made a lot of good decisions because my friends were.
"Why is it important for us to have friends?"
"What does a healthy relationship look like?" This is a great video about signs of an unhealthy relationship. It's one of the best I have watched with my teens on this topic. For more TedTalks, videos, games, movies, and PDF's to use during a weekly Parent Teen Night, click here.
"Have you seen anyone being bullied? What did you do? What could you do next time?"
"Why do we care about what people think? What purpose does that serve?" Remind your teen that this is NORMAL and there are reasons for it, so it can spark a really interesting conversation.
The way we talk about the importance of friends really matters. Don't dismiss how important your teen's friends are to them, because that will push your teen away. Instead, talk about generic scenarios as you brainstorm together or ask carefully worded questions that don't have any agenda behind them. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!