Middle School Survival Guide For Parents

Middle School Survivor Guide for Parents

Having your child move from elementary school to middle school can be scary. However, it can also be a rewarding time for you and your child as you watch them mature, and take on bigger challenges in life. In this video, I will give you several tips that will help your child be a success in middle school.

I’m Mr. B I have taught middle school for 29 years and helped three of my own children complete middle school. For my children, thanks to some great teachers it set the stage for their success later in life.

One goal of middle school is to teach your child to be independent learners. It is a time for them to begin to figure out life on their own.

Here are 10 tips to help you and your child in middle school.

Number 1 Teach your child to use an agenda. The school I teach at gives every child an agenda on the first day of school. Nothing fancy, just a basic calendar. By using an agenda to write down homework, upcoming tests, and events your child can learn how to plan ahead and how to start scheduling their time. At first, your child may need lots of reminders from you about using their agenda but this is a helpful lifelong habit.

Number 2 Set up a study area for your child. Where this study area ends up depends on your child. I prefer not in the bedroom and their phone should either be off or not easily accessible. Establishing the habit of studying at a particular spot is helpful for the middle school mind.

Number 3 Teach your child how to turn in all of their work. If your child is disorganized you can set up a homework folder. I will put a link in the notes showing you how to set up this folder.

Number 4 Teach your child how to keep up with their supplies, and how to replace the supplies during the year. The old pencil pouch still works wonders. The key is that the pencil pouch needs to be restocked during the year.

Number 5 Teach your child how to check their grades and establish a habit of checking grades often.. Almost all schools these days have online grades that students can check. This alerts your student if they are missing work and can turn this work in before it is too late.

Number 6 Give your child lots of encouragement. Middle school is a time of great change for your child and a little encouragement will go a long way. I learned that this age group loves rewards, working towards a goal, and positive feedback. 

Number 7 Help your child with their studying strategies. I recommend that study time is broken into chunks of 15 to 20 minutes with a break in between. Homework can be very stressful for you and your child. Waiting to start homework when it is late and your child is exhausted can turn into a nightmare. 

Number 8 Talk to your child often about the value of good friends. 

Number 9 Try to find an activity you and your child enjoy together. For example, my daughter ran cross country in middle school so we would often go on runs together. Many times she was grumpy and wouldn’t talk much, but on certain runs, we would have a fun, insightful conversation that was fun for both of us.

Number 10 Relax, take a deep breath because middle school can actually be a fun time for you and your child. I have great memories of my children in middle school.

Using an Agenda

Setting up a Homework Folder

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