Your child will question you and learn about what you value in friendships. This information and the actual experiences he encounters will help your child grow in his relationships. Functions of Peers Family Replacement. Peer groups provide a certain status independent of one's family. They also can be a stabilizing influence during this time of growth and change in a child's life.
Peers can provide a positive influence on a child's self- esteem.
It's a good feeling to be important to someone outside the family unit. Children need group support to gather necessary strength to eventually stand on their own. Contact with peers exposes children to values different from their parents'. It's important for children to realize that many different standards exist in the world. However, strong family values give a child a good basis for deciding whether to incorporate new and different values into her life.