By now parents are aware that peer pressure can impact a child negatively. In the digital era, children are pressured behind screens, sometimes by people they have never even met before.

It’s essential to try to be open with your child and create an open pathway of communication so they feel comfortable approaching you should they feel undue pressure to do something or engage in behavior that they would rather not.

Peer pressure can also be a good thing. It can work in the opposite way for a child who is friends among very competitive friends. Our son felt pressured to study hard and work on his biology class thesis after learning that all of his friends in class announce how they’ll be doing nothing the weekend before it was do. We, his parents, didn’t have the same effect of getting him to hunker down and polish off his project.

There is also a lot of research and science behind the influence others can have on us, and in this infographic, we look at how you can help your child navigate the demands of these everyday pressures.

Armed with helpful knowledge about how peer pressure can influence decisions, how to recognize these situations and how to work out the best decision for you is a skill that can be learned.

This infographic will give you ideas on how to set your child on the right path and make you more comfortable when peer pressure arises.

The Science of Peer Pressure by Wooden Toy Shop