KNOW YOUR KIDS' FRIENDS
YOU South Africa|9 March 2023
Want to know what makes your teenager tick? Take a look at who they're mixing with – their group of peers can offer surprising insights into your child’s behaviour
PATRICIA FLOKIS
KNOW YOUR KIDS' FRIENDS

GOOD friends are a blessing. And as a parent, you know how important it is for your children to form friendships that have a positive impact on their lives.

However, a teenager's choice of friends can sometimes be as alarming as the expletives spewing from their new bestie's mouth. And telling them not to hang out with that particular friend anymore is likely to have your teen rolling their eyes at you.

But rest assured, all is not lost. Influencing your teenager to make healthy friendship choices - and resist peer pressure - is possible.

GET TO KNOW THEM

According to parenting experts, the trick is to keep your kids' friends nice and close. "The more you get to know their friends, the more you get to know your child, really,' says Australian clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack.

"You see who they value being with, how they're being treated by their friends, and how they're treating them in return.

Knowing your children's friends can also help you determine if they share similar interests and values. Your teenager is more likely to avoid drugs and alcohol if their friends do, or to strive to be more studious if their friends are doing well at school, says Deborah Jepsen, an Australian educational and developmental psychologist.

Important questions you should be asking- such as whether your child is free to be themselves around their friends, whether their friends are supportive or insensitive, and if they're a good or bad influence - can all be better answered when you know their peer group.

Friends can also inadvertently offer insight into your teen's behaviour. "For instance, your son might have told you he was bullied at school, but a casual chat with his friends may reveal that he said something that set it all off,' McCormack says. "Suddenly, you have a different perspective on the situation, and an opportunity to deal with it more appropriately and constructively."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 9 March 2023 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 9 March 2023 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من YOU SOUTH AFRICA مشاهدة الكل
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
YOU South Africa

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST

With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
YOU South Africa

SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES

John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
YOU South Africa

SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG

A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
LIAM LAID TO REST
YOU South Africa

LIAM LAID TO REST

More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
SHILOH HANGS OUT
YOU South Africa

SHILOH HANGS OUT

THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
LEO IN LOVE
YOU South Africa

LEO IN LOVE

He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down

time-read
3 mins  |
5 December 2024
PACKING A PUNCH
YOU South Africa

PACKING A PUNCH

Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
YOU South Africa

I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD

As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
YOU South Africa

'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'

A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
YOU South Africa

THE CLAWS ARE OUT!

Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William

time-read
7 mins  |
5 December 2024