Peer Pressure

 I recently discussed peer pressure with my 20-year-old son. It starts a lot younger now with exposure to the internet and the amount of time parents let their children use the internet and the images they are watching and feeding their minds daily. 

I think I was a bit naive in the fact that I raised my son to be a God-loving and fearing man. He is a child of God and he understands that. I didn't think about those friends who were not raised that way. The friends who smile in your face and say all of the right things but are leading a life of constant drinking, partying, and random hook-ups. 

The pressure to be "cool" is real.  The pressure to have sex is real. The pressure to be something that you are not to appear "cool" is real.  I tell my son that he is in control and that he needs to cut those from his life that do not accept who he is as a person.  If he is being pressured to be anything else it is time to step away from those friends. 

This is a lesson we all have to learn even as adults. If we have people in our lives that make us feel less than for being who we are then it is time to say bye-bye.  At the end of the day, the only opinion that matters to me is God's. 

Parents, please be aware of what your child is watching on their devices. How do they feel in their own skin? Who are the friends they are spending their time with? What are they about? How does your child feel about themselves? Are they secure enough in who they are to say no to the peer pressure and societal pressure that comes at them on a daily basis?  

Life is tough enough on its own. It is ok to separate yourself or your child from those who are purposely making it harder. Choose YOU always! Be BOLD!