Transitioning Tweens: The Leap to Middle School
Helping your child transition to junior high school
Whether your school district transitions students from elementary to middle school in sixth grade or seventh, it can be a difficult time for kids, and parents, as well. There are the obvious adjustments like a larger school building, use of lockers, loads of new faces, unfamiliar teachers and different rules. And the entrance into middle school usually brings about new pressures to wear the right clothes, say the right things and fit in with certain groups. Many childhood experts see this as the most difficult time, socially, for most kids. I have heard it referred to as the time to “eat or be eaten.”
So what can a parent do to help alleviate the pressure their children may experience during this time of life? There is no magic bullet that will ensure your child goes from elementary school into middle school experiencing no stress. However, if handled well, many of these experiences can end up being beneficial life lessons in the long run. As a parenting coach I often recommend the following formula.
