Speaker: It wasn't that long ago, when your child's entire could wrap itself around one finger. How about those first steps, seems like yesterday. And now, where are they? They are about ready to get on the bus, to go to their first day of middle school or if you are lucky enough, they'll ask you to drive them. But don't count on parking anywhere close, and that accounts for any after school activities, fancy folks, they are moving on.
They are running with a new crowd right now, whole new group of friends, people you may not even know, doing great things like smoking pot, drinking beer.
Speaker1: Well, I know exactly, how I am going to handle that situation. Oh! really how is that? I am just going to hover, right over the top of him, just real close. You can let me know, how that works out for you.
Speaker: No, your new role is not to become the attack helicopter that everyone simply cannot miss. Your new role, the humming bird, working equally hard and nearly invisible to your child’s eye and your first task, you need to find out, who the new friends are; invite them over, have a little sit down, find out where they live and of equal importance, who their parents are? And where those parents are and how often, they are going to be home in those after school hours.
Your next charge be crystal clear on a couple of different points. Number one, what are your expectations about, where your child is allowed to be in the after school and weekend hours? Are the movie theaters okay, without supervision? How about the law? How about the friends house, when mom and dad aren't around? What is the expectation.
The second area, academics. What are your expectation, to be very clear working your hardest giving your best effort is not specific. Talk about As, Bs and Cs, so when that shows up, no one is surprise and there is room for discussion.
Now the middle school years are no longer a time for walking hand-in-hand on the beach, things change. But that doesn't mean that you cannot continue to grow. Enjoy your time together.
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