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Parents' Guide To Help Child Cope With Stress Due To Peer Pressure |
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“Spare the rod and spoil the child,” this good old
saying requires constant review in view of the changed ground realities
in the world of children. Perhaps punishment schedules and pressure
tactics on children to improve them are the things of past. Children are
exposed to unprecedented secular knowledge and there is no control for
their acquiring any type of knowledge. The vast internet is at their
disposal. The concept of peer pressure to get the results from the
children seems to be as dead as Dodo.
The
perception of the children in relation to their parents has changed.
Children expect their parents to be their friend, philosopher and guide.
As it is, your child is under tremendous pressure in the school, due to
the never-ending load of homework and the actual load of books that it
is required to carry. The atmosphere in the class room will be tense, if
the teachers are extra-strict. When children return home, they look
forward to a friendly, reassuring and co-operative atmosphere. If they
feel the same pressure at home, it would be too much of a tension for
them and ultimately they begin to hate both- the school as well as the
home. That is one of the reasons why some children drop out from the
school and run away from the house.
If you think that you can get
along with their peer pressure to reform the child, you are mistaken.
Losing temper over the frivolous issues is common amongst the children.
Somebody has to listen to their problems and grievances. They may have
their own genuine demands. Some of their demands need to be met. Some
may be kept pending. Some demands may be linked to their performance.
As
the child grows, it may have several questions, many of them
inconvenient to you. But remember, this is the most crucial part of your
child's life. The child always looks forward to the parents as their
role models. If you think that you can control the children with
“shut-ups” and “get outs,” you are highly mistaken.
Another
cause of pressure in children is their being kept in ambiguity. Do not
keep them in confusion for any of their demands. If you don't wish to
entertain any of their demands, counsel them properly about the reasons
behind your refusal in a relaxed manner. Once the child realizes that
you are firm, when it matters, in the long run it will continue to
respect you more and more. In the end, the child must get a feeling that
you are willing to help it grow.
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