{"id":29107,"date":"2015-09-02T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=29107"},"modified":"2017-06-08T12:56:22","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T19:56:22","slug":"tips-for-parents-on-a-successful-transition-to-middle-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/tips-for-parents-on-a-successful-transition-to-middle-school-0902155","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Parents on a Successful Transition to Middle School"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YoungYes, middle school may be a time full of awkwardness and self-doubt<\/a>, but it is also a time of incredible transformation and movement toward independence. With regard to\u00a0its impact on human development, this period of life is second only to the period from\u00a0infancy to age three.<\/p>\n

Think about that for a minute.<\/p>\n

Remember how much your child changed from birth to age three? That\u2019s how much change, growth, and development will happen over these next three years as your teen navigates middle school! Get ready for a wild ride!<\/p>\n

Many of the parents I work with feel lost, unsure of how much support to offer their middle school student. How much independence is enough? How much is too much? How do you support a child without being a helicopter parent?<\/p>\n

I like to compare the situation to teaching a child to swim. Think about the stages we go through with swimming. When our kids are toddlers, we go in the pool with them and we never let go. Later, we let them swim farther and farther away from us, but we stay in the pool so we can rescue them at any moment. Eventually, when we are comfortable with their skills, we let them swim while we watch from our lounge chair. I think of parenting<\/a> during middle school as that last stage. We are on the sidelines offering guidance and support. We are right there if they get into trouble, but, mostly, we let them do their thing.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of parenting from the sidelines, here are some tips to help make your child’s transition to middle school successful:<\/p>\n

1. Encourage self-advocacy.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\n\t

Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>Self-advocacy is one of the most important skills your teen will learn over the next few years. Speaking up for himself or herself and knowing how to ask for what they need is a critical, lifelong skill. Your teen can only learn it if you make an intentional effort to back away and let him or her step up to the plate.<\/p>\n