Preparing For Middle School.
Hello, World!
“Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself, and the right people will love the real you.”
I can’t believe I am here writing a post about preparing for middle school. How did this happen? Where is my tiny human I birthed a couple of years ago? And at the moment, aren’t we still in the middle of summer and enjoying every single minute of it? I am proud yet sad that another year has flown by, the first week of August is the beginning of the new school year, and we have decided it’d be best for both boys to go back to in-person learning this year. We talked about the pros and cons and felt it is the right decision for our family. Aiden is going to be attending middle which is a significant change for him. It would also be his first time stepping into the classroom in over a year and a half. More importantly, his favorite person, his brother Tyler, will not be close for random hugs and play during the lunch period. He has to get used to all these changes in the coming weeks, along with wearing a mask this fall because covid 19.
Over the years, I've learned you never too early to prepare for the reopening of the new school year. Uniforms, bag packs, and lunch boxes shopping is less stressful during the early month of summer break. While all of these are important, I am here to write about the not-so-obvious preparation. Middle school is a big transition from elementary school. There is a higher expectation from teachers for kids to be more independent. The workload and homework are ten times more, and of course, peer pressure and bullying. Even though it is scary, my job is to support Aiden, knowing that it is ok not having all the answers through his middle school journey.
One of the most positive things that came out of remote learning is that I’ve gotten a front-row seat in seeing my kids’ different learning styles. At the end of the school year, I knew what we needed to work on during the summer to help Aiden feel more confident moving forward. Part of preparing him for middle school is finding the balance between allowing him to adjust and experience things independently.
Here are some ways to help prepare for middle school.
1. Independent
I must admit that I’ve been a helicopter parent in the past, catering to my boys’ every need; while this may have worked in the past, it is not conducive to fostering independence at this stage in their lives. There’s still room for improvement, but I am proud of our work thus far; during our summer break, Aiden was responsible for completing his packages and submitting them before the due date with little or no reminder from me. In the beginning, it was a bit of a challenge because he was used to me checking over his work. But as time went on, he took the initiative, chose, and completed his assignments each week. Working on the importance of being independent is preparing him to be confident in his decision-making as he enters middle school.
2. During summer break, focus on where they need help the most
Concentrating on where your child needs the most help would allow them to grow and feel more confident. We continued our tutoring sessions during our summer break to focus only on multiplication. Practicing timetables once a day and tutoring are ways to help Aiden prepare for middle school math. While penmanship is not taught or penalized in the classroom, we decided to improve his writing skill. We accomplish this by using A hand-writing affirmation, motivation quote workbook to boost his confidence along the way.
3. Hygiene
You know the saying cleanliness is next to godliness”? I stand by it; taking care of personal health is just as important as emotional well-being. Aiden and I discuss the importance of good hygiene. Bushing teeth/flossing, washing hands after using the restroom, good eating habits, moving your body, drinking plenty of water, and wearing deodorant, are good habits that can make you feel happy and confident about yourself.
4. Books & Magazines
As much as I want to shelter my boys from the horrors of the news, I also know how important it is to be aware of what is happening in the world and community. Since Aiden is an avid reader, it has been easy to pick books that he loves and books that inform. Earlier this year, I’ve shared about our subscriptions to The Week Junior Magazine. It is a kid-friendly way of getting him to be informed on the latest news and learn more about what’s going on globally. He was excited to read this week's issue on Zaila Avant-garde, who won The Scripp National spelling Bee competition.
5. Communication.
Aiden is shy, and I might be biased, but he is the kindest child you’d meet. While there’s nothing wrong with being quiet, I also want him to know it’s ok to use his voice outside of his family and stand up for himself. Having open communication is vital as he heads off to middle school. As a parent, you want to be the first person your child comes to when they are having a bad day. Change can be challenging as most of his friends are off to different middle schools or have moved away. We talked about friendships and what does it mean to him going into the new school year.
As we prepare for this new chapter, I know deep down I am the worried one. From all our talks and the way he soared through elementary school, he is resilient, and I am convinced he will do great.
Share in the comment some ways you are preparing for middle school? I would love to hear some other perspectives.
xo cami