Our temptation to indulge or loosen the rules is also an opportunity to rethink the role of peer pressure, a phrase that many of us use without realizing it usually doesn’t begin with children. If kids lose face because others have toys or experiences that they do not, it’s only because their friends’ parents let them have that stuff and do those things in the first place. The same is true with late curfews or the freedom to go anywhere after school. Or being allowed to forgo chores or avoid other contributions to the family.
