- Hi, I'm Jay Laga'aia, actor, singer, and father of eight. Yep, eight kids. My eldest is 33, and my youngest is about to turn seven. 
That's four boys and four girls. So when it comes to helping teens deal with peer pressure, I've been there, done that, and no doubt I will do it again.
It's okay though because I'm prepared and I'm going to help you to get prepared, too. 
No one likes to be left out, and teenagers aren't any different, but the truth is they don't always want to be doing what their friends are doing, and they don't want to be seen as uncool for not going along with their friends. 
As parents, one of our jobs is to teach our kids how to cope in this environment. 
But whilst we build their confidence and self-esteem to do that, the reality is that just saying "no" can be pretty nerve wracking. 
Let's look at some ways that we can teach our kids how to keep face as they get out of situations that they don't want to be in. 
Suggest they make a joke of it - It sounds simple but if you workshop a few ideas with them beforehand, it'll come out really naturally. 
Prepare them with a valid reason - Now this one needs a little prep because it has to be real but it can be pretty successful because it's hard to argue against fact. So, if a friend, for example, offers them a cigarette, they can say, "No, thanks, I'm trying out for the state netball team, and smoking will hurt my chances." 
This one's great, too, because it gives them practise actually saying "no", but the safety of a reason makes it a little easier. 
Help them to come up with a better idea - So if a friend asks them to come and hang out somewhere they're uncomfortable, they can just say, "well, we're going to be out, it's going to be great weather, why don't we go down to the park and kick the football around?" 
Encourage your teenager to find a friend that shares their value system so they can back each other up when saying no. 
It may be tricky and not for every situation, but just say "no thank you". Remember, practise makes perfect. 
Whatever you come up with, the secret to avoiding peer pressure is to be prepared, confident, and most importantly, be yourself.