Peer Pressure

I was fortunate and blessed enough to home school our sons until they were in middle school.  Home schooling is not for everyone, but I definitely felt the call to do it.  I tell people who are thinking about home schooling that if you do it through 4th grade it is great and anything beyond that is icing on the cake.  The reason I say that is I think when you home school you give your child a definite sense of who they are and a strong sense of family and it seems to be established by the time they are in 5th grade. 

What does home schooling have to do with peer pressure???  I think children who are home schooled are less likely to give in to the wrong type of peer pressure because they have a strong sense of who they are and their family.  Instead of being followers they become leaders because they know who they are.  Also if a parent takes the time, energy and effort to home school their children, they are going to be involved in that childs life and activities to guide them to the best decisions.

Can only home schooled children with stand negative peer pressure??  No, it is not just home schooled children.  I think if a child has a loving and strong family life then they will be less likely to give in to negative peer pressure.  In order to have a loving and strong family life parents have to invest time, energy and effort into their children and their family life.  Parents who are involved in their children's lives are telling their child that they (the children) are important and that gives the child a strong sense of self worth. 

There is a difference between being involved and being a 'hover mother'.  Being involved means you are there at the soccer games to encourage your child, a 'hover mother' not only goes to the soccer game, but tries to tell the coach what to do and demands that her child be put in the game.  Being involved means sometimes watching your child fail, but being their to help them pick up the pieces; a 'hover mother' will not allow her child to fail. 

By being an involved parent, having a strong family and giving your child a strong Biblical self worth can give your child the tools they need to resist negative peer pressure.

Proverbs 14:22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?  But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.