Oh here we are at teens team again😊. Last week we had it about fixings our mistakes. You may probably have taken a course with respect to that. What was that course and what's the motivation behind it. You can always have the comment section of this post to share if any.

Let's talk peers today and just the way we should handle them😉

Who are they

Peers are you mates, colleagues or probably friends. They are everywhere, at school, religious or social gatherings, even in the neighborhood and they posses a measure of influence on you, both positively and negatively.

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Peer pressure

The pressure,force or influence mounted on you by your peers to convince, push or compell you to do something they do or feel is good is peer pressure and sometimes, it's psychological.

You are not wrong if you call peer pressure peer influence. Like I mentioned before, your peers can influence you on the positive or on the negative side.

If your peer helps you avoid cutting classes, that's positive. But if they encourage you to antisocial vices, that is very negative 🚫
And sadly, negative peer influence has been the order of the day.

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Dangers

Allowing negative influence is like being controlled by a remote held by your peers. Imagine Dancing to every whistle your peers blow, that's s just how peer pressure is. It dampens your morale, taints your reputation. And subdues you to undue stress. That would definitely not feel right

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How can I handle it?

That may have been a question lingering in your head. But here are few ways to avoid the snare of peer pressure.

Pexel link

1. Plan ahead:

One way to tackle peer influence is to plan ahead. Think about the possibility of having a potential issue of peer influence. What is your peers try to convince you about wearing very skimpy and revealing clothes. Think about how you would respond to that. What you would do or say at that instance.
When that happens, you will be prepared and fully armed to resist negative influence from peers and stand for the right

2. Think:

You remember your plan when preparing for such incidence?
Oh well, here's the time you'll need to implement it When you see it coming.

"Think about how mum and dad would feel if you give in to that stick of cigarettes handed to you.
Think if I do this, would it be beneficial for me
Think, if I do this would it matter in 5 years?
Think, if someone sees me what would they think of me"

3.Say a firm NO:

Taking a firm decision at that spot is good idea to get reject negative influence. In fact you could appeal to their intellect with something like "I thought you were too smart to be indecent". Make your rejection very obvious to them.
Make sure you loudly and repeatedly say "NO".

4. Take action

Walkout if you must, remember the longer your presence the longer the pressure. Promise to tell on them if they offer such to you next time.
You could avoid them next time. Even if you need to take another route to give them their way, DO.

5. Speak to a more mature adult

You may get confused along the line, you may run out of ideas. If you don't have the courage to boldly tell them "stop 🛑 I'll tell on you". Then you'd need someone older maybe your parents or your teacher to help you out especially if they don't cringe at your courage.

6. Make good friends

Make sure your choice of friends are the type that encourages good morals not the type that would spoil you and your reputation. Good friends will help you make good decisions and as you often hear

Two are better than one
With your good and loyal friend(s) you can overcome negative peer pressure from your peers and act wisely.

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What if they don't actually pressure me through words but through their actions

It's very ok to want to fit in, but at the same time guard against falling into a snare.
Your peers choice of dress and grooming might look appealing to you, but you haven't the money to get them. Desperately thinking of being like them is a kind of pressure worst than if they had asked you too.

Sometimes, through you might feel oppressed by their actions, or as some saint or probably inferior to them.

Well, you are responsible for your feelings. You can rip them from your chest and cast it into the dark or let them remain with you and fall prey to bad decisions just to look sassy and swaggy like your peers or to fit in and be accepted.

Remember to Think. Think, think and think. I mentioned about 4 things you could think of before telling yourself you are inferior and give in to the pressure. (You could go back to point 2 again)

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It so much breaks my heart that teens and young adolescents today go through lots of pressure and influence from their friends and peers. But I assure you, you too can stand up to it.
Never be a push over, scare them too with your affirmity and never give in to it. Trust me you won't regret your decisions.

That's that for this week, check out the previous series so you don't miss one.

• Introduction to teens team
• Series 01
• series 02
• series 03

Heres my steemit introduction post

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