Peer pressure

Everyone faces peer pressure, it is universal. But it is still troubling as a parent to see it rear its ugly head, and worse when there is even a slight inclination it might be your kids pressuring others.

Those you of who follow this blog know my kids are young yet — a kindergartner and a second grader. Yesterday, I saw evidence of the ugly word in both.

My son, the older of my kids, suddenly realized he is the "only boy in second or third grade" who doesn't have a deck of Pokemon cards.

The kids aren't allowed to play at school, and he doesn't know how to play, but he decided he would use his hard earned money to buy a deck for himself. I was on board for that, until we got to the store.

There, he realized the decks were more than he expected ($15) and had a mini meltdown. He didn't want to spend that much he said, but he had to have the cards. Unfortuantely, I also learned a parenting lesson that day. Logical discussions with children about peer pressure and not needing to buy things you don't want because someone else has it do not go well while looking at said item.

Ultimately, he bought them. Now, he carries them everywhere, but still doesn't know how to play the game. I am guessing the internet will be of assistance in that regard.

On to the younger child. My daughter loves her silly bands. For those you not in the know, these are rubber bands in the shape of animals or guitars or all kinds of other things that kids wear as bracelets and trade with each other. It is our first foray into useless items marketing types get little kids with.

She wears enough silly bands every day to completely cover her little wrist and forearm. Yesterday, I when I picked her up from school I realized she was the main trader in her class and wondered if the other little girls and boys feel like they need to get these things in order to negotiate a trade.

I know it will only get worse as the kids get older, and I am at once hopeful the Pokemon cards don't interest him so he can learn a lesson, and hope he likes them so he didn't waste his money.