How could I help my kids dealing with peer pressure?

Peer Pressure is awful and I have been a victim of it. I think that the most that can be done is to talk to your kids and tell them that they don't have to do the things that their friends are doing to be liked. I've been through high school and i've seen how kids are. I never had to do something so that my friends could like me. I was me and people liked how I was. I don't have kids I'm still 19 but I do have a brother who is 11 and got into trouble because of peer pressure. A couple of kids including him went up to the roof to get some balls that were up there. It was dangerous and really stupid of them but he wasn't thinking about that when he went up there. He was just thinking of doing the same thing that they were doing and taking some of the balls that were up there. I hope that your kids don't end up getting into a dangerous situation because of peer pressure.

Hello, My kids are all very small, but in the future we hope to deal with this issue by just maintaining very open communication with our kids. Coupled with that we are trying to build high self esteem in them right now while they are young so they don't have to feel like they need to impress anyone. We are trying to be positive so they can be proud of who they are and not ever feel like they need to be what someone else wants them to be.

I don't think you can protect children from peer-pressure you can talk, talk, talk and hope you can make them understand that they do not have to follow along with the crowed ( and if the crowed dosen't like them because they are not getting into something that they should not be in) they are not their friends in the first place. That sounds so simple dosen't it? It is in no way simple. I just tried to teach mine that there are bounderies that you DO NOT EVER cross reguardless of who else may cross it, because even if their parents lets them get into trouble and then gets them out and blames everybody but them for it.That was not happening with my children and if hell had to be payed for something they chose to do to be "cool" they were darn well going to be the one paying it! Both of my daughters have grown up to be responsible adults (thank God!) and i am hoping for a similiar outcome for my two boys 12 & 13 yrs. old.