Years ago, a family member lost his college scholarship because he was caught with friends who were doing something illegal. This person had alot of “the wrong place, the wrong time incedents”. There is a young man in my county who is being prosecuted for an attack on a young woman and her baby. He dropped off two “friends” and left them at the residence. I just heard about two teenage boys being charged for some very serios crimes because friends asked them to help get something back from a girlfriend. The simple breaking and entering escalated into something ugly. All of these incedents have had life altering results on the life of the young man who was doing what his friends wanted. Teens in Mont Vernon are facing murder accomplice charges as I write this. In each case, the young man was following.
This might sound a little crazy, but I have always told my kids, and most especially my son, that if he ever gets into legal trouble, the crime had better be his idea. I remind him often that he needs to think for himself and never,ever, go with someone else’s idea, even if was against his better judgement.
Fortunately, he has listened so far. He is quick to say no, even if it means it will anger his peers. He has had no problem giving up friends in exchange for his independance. When his realizes that one of his friends exhibits dangerous or disrespectul behavior he is also quick to separate himself from this. This may make his teenage years tough, but it will help to keep him out of jail and out of the hospital. He may not be a leader yet, but he is certainly not a follower.
I am not saying that I have it all right and the parents of these other kids have it all wrong. I am saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As parents we are responsible for what our kids get right and what our kids get wrong. While we cannot control every action, we can teach them a strong sense of right and wrong and give them the confidence and self control to lead friends into good situations and not follow them into bad ones.
~If you liked this you should also read my other posts at the home blog, the homeschooling blog, the parents blog, and the frugal blog. You can read my recent posts here.
Also read:
Teens Should Not Have Their Own Car
9 out of 10 Teens Not Eating Their Vegetables
Why I Keep My Teens on a Short Leash