In middle school, students begin making choices that affect the rest of their lives. For parents, guiding children through this complicated process can seem challenging.
Here are a few tips from educators and parents to ease the transition:
1. Personal responsibility: By the time children enter middle school, they have become old enough to take more responsibility for their education, said Cynthia Debussy, a PTA parent in Huntington Beach, California. "Children must develop organization and management skills that help them succeed in their education from here on," she said. Parents can allow students to set their own sleep schedules and give children more freedom to choose their own clothing to help them develop their own identity, she said.
Parents can also encourage their children to keep calendars and checklists to organize homework and other daily responsibilities, she said.
2. Extracurricular interests: One of the most exciting aspects of attending middle school is that students can begin exploring individual interests, Debussy said. At this age, children can develop interests in sports, music, drama or other clubs, or take elective classes.
"Encouraging children to sign up for the band or student council or other extracurricular activity can make them feel like they are a part of something," she said.
3. Physical changes: Perhaps no other aspect of the middle-school years can cause as much anxiety for parents as the physical changes that come along for students. "It can feel like an awkward time for both parents and children," Debussy said. "Children's physical changes can also affect behaviour."
Parents have to let their children know that they will be there for them to provide answers to their questions no matter how embarrassing, she said.
4. Bullying basics: Bullying often becomes more prevalent in middle school, according to experts.
Rosie Shirley-Baldwin, a middle school principal in Placentia, California, said parents should investigate what anti-bullying policies a school has in place. Parents should also talk to a counsellor about how they would handle specific incidents. For example, to combat bullying some schools provide an email address so students can report when they experience or witness bullying.
Parents should communicate with children about bullying, including how to respond to bullies and whom to report incidents to at the campus.
5. Start thinking college: Counsellors advise parents to begin thinking about college prep in middle school. Enrolling in algebra by the Grade 8 will ensure students are ready for math and science classes when they reach high school.
"Parents need to sit down with their child and develop a plan to ensure he completes the necessary courses necessary to enroll in algebra and other core classes," said Miriam Colmenares, a counsellor in Garden Grove, California.
