What to do when your child is hanging out with the wrong crowd
Your kid may end up with the wrong crowd due to peer pressure. He may end up acquiring certain attitudes to fit into that crowd. As a parent, you may feel powerless in such a situation, but you are the best solution your kid has while in such a situation. The following are ideas on what to do when your child is hanging out with the wrong crowd:
1. Intervene with love
Your kid might falter either in decision-making or being assertive, and it's your job as a parent to step in. As a parent, you should instill values in your kids which will help them to make the right decision while in difficult situations. Parents should take stiffer measures in instances where the child is engaging in harmful behaviors regularly. You can avoid a crisis if you intervene early enough, making your kids feel valued and loved unconditionally. This can give them the ability to beat the wrong crowd easily.
2. Support and celebrate uniqueness
Allow your children to have the experience which makes them different. Your kid should have self-respect, know he/she is exceptional and able to communicate and interact with people. They should be able to use imagination to reach their full creative potential. When your child is in the wrong crowd, try to build them, which will in turn help your kid with ample opportunity and parental support. Your kid will find what interests them and follow it. This will eventually help them to avoid the wrong crowd.
3. Face the fears
Explain to your kid how to withstand the wrong crowd; this will teach them a valuable lesson. Help them face their fears for when they are about to get ridiculed or lose a friend. Explain to them how it's challenging to go against some practices everyone else is doing, but how standing out can help in developing courage, confidence, and maturity.
4. Promote self-respect
Encourage your kid to develop their interests and talents, which will make them less vulnerable. Help them build their self-esteem by encouraging them to develop a hobby, a part-time job, or do social work. These activities help in discouraging boredom and also introduces them to peers of the same interests. You should ask for your children's opinions and help them achieve what they believe in.
5. Knowing their rights
Children should realize that they have the right to say "no" to the wrong crowd and the right to determine what's "cool" for them. Help your kids to identify their goals and values in life so they can stay true to what's important to them. Your kid may be tired of hearing a No from their parent, but the same advice by their fellow kid may result in a great outcome, hence you can ask a youth leader to talk to your kid.
Making friends is a complex skill which your child may take time to learn. You should be prepared for the highs and lows of childhood friendships and encourage your child to try again when something goes wrong. If you are not in it, you can't win it.
