Establish curfews and make unchaperoned parties off-limits. Make a special effort to know where your children and teens are on the weekends and after school, since those are the danger zones when unsupervised young people may have many opportunities to use drugs, commit crimes, and engage in other risky behavior. The goal is to be an attentive parent without being authoritarian. Get to know your children s friends and their families. Friends have a strong influence on each other, so it is important to get to know your children s friends and their parents.
Much peer pressure is actually positive.
Encourage your teens to hang out with healthy, positive friends. Welcome their friends into your home and talk with them openly. Although it may be difficult to initiate a conversation, start when your children are curious and begin to ask questions. Make it clear that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety, and talk with them about the appropriate ways to deal with troubling emotions. Make sure your kids know the dangers of tobacco, drugs and alcohol, and sex.