Do Parents Suffer Peer Pressure?

I believe that in the early years of a child's life, a parent faces just as much pressure from their peers as their child will eventually face if not more peer pressure than they will ever face during their childhood. I know that it was what kind of food we were feeding, the parenting techniques that we were employing and any number of other things that people were always throwing their two cents in about when my daughter was little.

Today more than ever. With our ever changing society, yes, we are peer pressured. Now that the government is more involved in how we raise our children, there is always someone there trying to tell us what we are doing wrong. With youth sports we are pressured into showing how much we support out children. We have to spend out hundreds of dollars just to show someone else how much we care about the kids' team. Which isn't fair.

Hi Elfbwillow, This is a good question and yes I think they do, I remember when my eldest was born and my mother-in-law was always tellingme how I should change a nappy this way and I should dress her that way, gets really drustrating especially when you are a new mum trying to learn but being told different thingsbydifferent people, now my girls are grown they told me that this woman actualy told them, well you can't expect your mother to know how to be a proper mother as she never had her own mother to show her how to be, WHAT!!!!! I won't give in to any of it though, my own son (6years old) will say but so and so down the road is allowed and my response is that if so and soS mother allows him to that is up to her but I am your mother and I am saying you are not allowed yet and then explain why not. Huggles. Ellie :D

i guess we are matured enough not to get pressure with other parents that are knowledgeable already. we all have our own styles and we all have different children. even a parent with 2 or more children have different approach in every child. when i have something to ask, i ask our pediatrician. i dont just let my child drink something because other parents give that to their own children. i wont let my child walk just because their children walks to school. if i have time to bring him at school then i will bring him. i have my own style with my child besides he is my child so they dont have the right to tell me what to do. i have my own mind to think of what is best with him. if some parents tell that to me i just say that i have my own style to handle my child. my wife just smile at people who are like that. if it is something that me and my wife can learn then we do it but if a parent just bragging about their childs capabilities then we just listen.

From what I have seen the majority, if not most, parents suffer peer pressure. Most of them claim to be mature enough not to be affected by this, but their actions and/or words show the truth. Most parents are proud of the achievements of their offsprings, from the day they were born until they have become grown-ups. The intensiry of the pressure seems to be during the schooling period. There are even parents who caused their kids to suffer from depression due to negative words hurled at them, simply because they failed to outdo their peers. There are parents who take a relaxed approach, but their number is small.

Everyone can suffer from the bouts of peer pressure. Parents are not excluded. Sometimes it is the children we see as having peer pressure most. It can happen to all of us.

I think that we all compare what we do as parents to what others do. Generally for me I do what I think is best for my children, and also depending on what it is, for myself too. I had a lot of friends and family telling me what I should and shouldn't do with my kids, and sometimes still do, I think that we can all feel like we should take notice of what others are saying, but ultimately it is our choice as to how we raise our children, and if we do what people advise us to. But I think you are right, there are a lot of people who are peer pressured into things it does not just happen in children. For those of us that are parents sometimes I think that we have experience and so we feel we can give out advice to people, so that is perhaps why we get so much advice from people about our children.