How to Prepare Your Child for Middle School

Most children dread the beginning of a new school year. However, this is especially true for those who will be entering middle school for the first time. It can be pretty scary when you have to go to a new school where you will be younger than many of the other students. Nevertheless, there are some things parents can do to help prepare their kids for middle school and make the situation less frightening.

Listen to Your Kids

One of the best ways to help your children prepare for middle school is to talk with them and listen to what they have to say. Encourage them to share their feelings with you and reassure them that it is normal for them to be anxious. Additionally, let them know that you will always be available for them if they need to talk.

Try to answer all of your children’s questions, and if you cannot, find someone who can. In this case, it is best to find other kids whom your children know and who are either in high school or the upper levels of middle school. Just be sure that you and the kids you choose do not dwell on any negative aspects of middle school.

Attend Your Children’s Orientations

In this way, your kids can learn the best possible routes to each of their classes and how to get to such places as the cafeteria, restrooms, lockers, gymnasium and general office. Orientations also give you and your students the opportunity to find out about any supplies they may need for their classes.

Buy Supplies as Early as Possible

If you were given a supply list during orientation, you can begin school shopping before classes start. Otherwise, you may have to wait until the first week of school when your kids’ teachers give them their lists. In either case, try to buy supplies as early as possible. It can be quite embarrassing for kids if they do not have what they need.

What your children will need for middle school highly depends on the teachers they are assigned to. However, some typical supplies that many middle school students will need include pens, pencils, spiral notebooks, index cards, binders, loose notebook paper, combination locks, gym clothes, book bags and calculators.

Help with Time Schedules

Even though your children know that the time is coming when they will need to adjust to a strict school schedule, many of them still have a lot of trouble adjusting. You can help them, though, by setting their bedtime earlier a few weeks before school begins and having them wake up a bit earlier as well.

These are just a few of the things that you can to do help your children prepare for their first year in middle school. Other things you can do include planning for lunches, helping with homework, discussing school sports and clubs and letting your kids know that you will be there for them all throughout the school year.

Adapting to a new environment is never easy, no matter what age a person is. Keep this in mind while you help your kids adjust to a new school. By showing them that they have your love and support, your children can overcome their anxiety and start enjoying everything school life has to offer. 

Brought to you by:

The Little Gym is a child development center. The Little Gym offers gymnastics for young kids to help them reach important developmental milestones while having a ton of fun.

Disclosure: Life in a House of Testosterone has not received any form of compensation in exchange for publishing this post. I have no relation to the aforementioned brand and/or product(s). The content of this post is being provided as an information post only. Enjoy! All opinions are my own and may differ from your own or those stated in this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”