Teen Milestone: Not Giving in to Peer Pressure

When your children were toddlers, you heard them say “no” so much you couldn’t wait for them to stop saying it. But as tweens and teens, it’s a word you hope they use to avoid being negatively influenced by peers. For your teen, not giving in to peer pressure often starts with another word — self. Having strong self-esteem helps teens resist negative peer pressure and lends confidence to push back on riskier stuff. Help your teen manage peer pressure further by reinforcing their positive sense of self, modeling values, and suggesting different ways to SAY NO. And when they do so, congratulations!

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