Before attending school, children promise their parents many things. They promise to come home immediately after school, behave during class, and steer clear of strangers. These promises are meant to protect them from potential danger and problems.
For instance, misbehaving during class can result in disciplinary action, and wandering around after school may cause children to get lost.
Most of the time, children understand the value of keeping their promises to their parents. However, other times, they feel pressured into doing something they are not supposed to do. This pressure is called peer pressure, and it happens when children do something to impress their peers and be accepted in their social groups.
"Although going against peers is tough, resisting negative peer pressure can benefit children immensely. Not only do they avoid possible dangers, but they also stay away from negative influences. They also prove themselves trustworthy, reliable, and credible, earning the confidence of others as a result."
Peer pressure has two types: positive and negative. Positive peer pressure inspires children to behave positively and make beneficial choices. Negative peer pressure happens when children are influenced to misbehave and go against the code of conduct.
In this evidence-based SEL lesson, kindergarten students learn how to resist peer pressure by keeping their promises and developing resilience. This lesson uses a creative poem, "Two Little Spiders." In this poem, one little spider promises its mother not to leave home but does anyway. As a consequence, the two little spiders fall into a sad outcome.
Following the poem is an engaging class discussion that acknowledges the challenge of honoring a given word when others are encouraging to break it. This is how the lesson ends, with kindergarten students recognizing and reflecting on the value of keeping promises to resist negative peer pressure.
Although going against peers is tough, resisting negative peer pressure can benefit children immensely. Not only do they avoid possible dangers, but they also stay away from negative influences. They also prove themselves trustworthy, reliable, and credible, earning the confidence of others as a result. Additionally, they strengthen their self-management skills by intentionally choosing to do positive actions.
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