Raising middle schoolers9/12/2023 ![]() According to what is the very best thing for you son, in the stage he is currently in. Not according to a number ( grade or age.) Not according to what his friends are doing. You, the parent, will know the very best where your son is developmentally and maturity-wise, and you must parent him accordingly. Things are happening at an inconsistent rate, wildly varying from one young body to the next.Īnd perhaps your greatest job during these years is to study that boy, and determine just where he is on that spectrum. On the other hand, you may have an eighth grader who looks and sounds like a seventeen year-old. You may have a sixth grader who is developmentally still like a fourth grader. ![]() The tricky thing with middle school boys is that there is a huge spectrum of developmental and maturity level among them. You know your son better than anyone, and you can make the call when the time is right. So even if it seems like the other parents are giving freedoms and privileges that you are not–I say to you, Mom and Dad: Don’t feel pressured to do the same. Middle School is an ideal time to mentor your son in how to practically work out the character qualities that he learned as a boy. Sure–you may have taught your kids basic values and morals in their younger years, but now is the time to help them apply it all. Maybe there is an awkwardness to this new season in their son’s life, or perhaps the parents just get busy or hit burnout ( I get that,) but pulling away and giving kids too much freedom at this age is premature, and can be extremely dangerous. He might tell you that his friends get to do this and that and play this and that, and you’re the a really lame parent if you don’t do the same.īecause, many parents hit the middle school years and then step back. ![]() Your Middle School son may be pulling away more now…He may be telling you that he’s really grown up now, and ready for all kinds of freedoms. Their body, mind, and emotions are changing so quickly, it’s hard to keep up.Īnd parents, here’s what I know: If there is ever a time your son needs your support, it is in their Middle School years. Raising four boys of my own, I am keenly aware of all that they go through to transition from boyhood to manhood. (For my international readers, this is roughly from age 10-14.) Really, there may be no more challenging time in life than those middle school years. Just saying the words brings me frightening flashbacks of puberty and pimples.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |