Middle School is a time of incredible growth, unsurpassed by any other
developmental stage other than that of infancy. This development can be
divided into three stages: early, middle and late adolescence. Middle
School children experience the stage of Early Adolescence (12-14 years). It
is during this time period that your child will struggle with his/her sense
of identity and will be likely to express feelings by actions rather than
words. This is when close friendships begin to gain importance over
family. It is so important for you, as parents, to be vigilant about who
the friends are, where they go, how they spend their time, and who their
parents are, Make an effort to acquaint yourselves with this group of
parents and decide together on important rules such as curfew time, study
times, logical consequences, etc.
Your pre-teen or teen will engage in rule and limits testing. Be prepared.
Lay out the ground work in advance so that your adolescent knows beforehand
what the consequences will be if s/he makes a poor choice in behavior or
decision making. Then be consistent with follow through. In the beginning
it will be tough on you with whining, tantrums, begging and pleading...but
if you don't stand your ground,life will get harder for you, and eventually
for your teen, as well.
