Middle School years are tough. More is expected from students than in elementary school and sometimes their brains are just not fully developed enough to handle all the social, emotional, and organizational turmoil. Parents can help kids stay focused and grounded by providing unconditional love and emotional support. Some other things you can do to help:
1. Monitor your child's texts and social media. Make sure they are being appropriate and that others are being appropriate to them. Report any bullying, harassing, or inappropriate texts or posts. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do this. Parent monitoring cuts down on the issues that follow your children into school. It helps curb cyber-bullying and helps protect our students.
2. Make sure your kids get a full night sleep. Did you know the adolescent brain is growing more now than it did when your child was a toddler? Seriously!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html
That brain needs sleep to weed out the unimportant mess and file away the important stuff. Turn off ALL electronics about an hour before bed. The light from screens wakes our brains up and can disrupt REM sleep.
3. Help them get to school ON TIME. Students who come in late disrupt class and start their own day off on the wrong foot. Students come in feeling rushed and ill-prepared for the day. They have to spend valuable time catching up on what they missed.
4. Create a routine and stick to it. Students at this age have so much chaos in their lives and in their bodies and in their brains. A sturdy routine can help them feel secure and grounded when everything else feels out- of- control.
5. Help them get organized and stay organized all year. Color coded folders can be helpful in organizing homework. Find one spot in your house for homework, to keep book bags, lunch boxes, band instruments, sports equipment, etc. Train your child to always put their things in that same spot. This cuts down on out- the- door chaos and helps children stick to those routines we just discussed.
6. Talk to your middle schoolers every day. This may be hard, especially as they get older. They need to know you are there for them and that you still love them even when they can seem hard to love (well, like).
7. If you notice your child struggling, contact his or her school counselor. We will work with you in providing them the resources they need to be successful. We serve as liaisons with teachers, mental health professionals, the Special Education Department, , and much more.
