Katie Pennington, a mother and high school principal, is in the process of transitioning her first child to middle school. Here's what she learned along the way.
2. AS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WITH
YOUNG KIDS, IT’S A NICE CHANGE TO BE
WITH A DIFFERENT AGE GROUP WHEN I
COME HOME FROM WORK. ALTHOUGH
WHAT’S SHOCKING TO ME IS THAT MY
OLDEST SON IS GOING TO BE ENTERING
MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR! IN THE BLINK
OF AN EYE, MY SON WILL SOON BE A
TEENAGER, JUST LIKE THE KIDS WHO I
WORK ALONGSIDE WITH EVERY DAY.
3. YOU WOULD THINK THAT AS A HIGH
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, THIS TRANSITION
WOULD BE EASY FOR ME SINCE.BUT IT’S
ACTUALLY FAR FROM THAT. SO I TURNED
TO GOOGLE FOR HELP TO COPE WITH THIS
CHANGE IN MY LIFE. THE TIPS I FOUND
WERE SO RELATABLE THAT I FELT LIKE I
SHOULD WRITE ABOUT THIS ON MY BLOG
TO HELP OTHER PARENTS LIKE ME
EXPERIENCING THIS SHOCK.
4. THEY MIGHT WANT TO GET INVOLVED
WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Elementary schools often don’t have extra-curricular activities
like the school baseball or softball teams. However, middle
schools do and this is new territory for parents and kids.
Usually your child would catch the bus home after school or
your would stay at an after-school program until you could
pick them up after work.
5. THEY MIGHT WANT TO GET INVOLVED
WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
But extracurricular activities may keep your child after school
long after the busses have left for the day. Talk to your child to
see if they’re interested to participate in any activities. Chances
are they might, and that opens up a whole new topic:
ownership of a cell phone to stay in contact with your kids.
6. CELL PHONES
These days it’s common for kids to have a cell phone at this
age. Did you know the average age for a child to get a cell
phone is 10? And it’s with good reason. Some parents work late,
kids stay after school for activities and some going to friend’s
houses after school. With your child hopping from place to
place, parents still want to keep in contact with their kids.
7. CELL PHONES
Children’s cell phone ownership can be tricky, especially if
they have a smartphone. It’s like they have access a world you
can’t see in their pocket! As a parent, make sure you talk to
your child about the proper use of a smartphone and use
parental controls.
8. HELP THEM ADJUST
Some elementary schools structure their schedule to have
students switch teachers and classrooms throughout the day to
help them adjust to middle school. Others do not, and children
are stationary in one room all day. Middle school will be a
significant change, as students hop from classroom to
classroom and they won’t get to know their teachers and
peers as well.
9. HELP THEM ADJUST
Your child will have to learn to self-regulate themselves to get
to class. Talk to your child to see if they know where the
lunchroom is, where the classrooms are, and how to effectively
stop at their locker to switch out materials before the next class
begins. Your child will also have to push themselves to make
friends, since it might not be as easy as it was in elementary
school where almost everyone class was their friend. Reassure
your child that everyone his age will be new and everyone is
going through the changes too.
