Family Engagement in Middle School
Parenting Strategies for Middle Schoolers
Middle school is a transition period between childhood and adolescence. Effective parenting during this period offers critical guidance and structure. Maintaining open communication, setting clear expectations, monitoring school performance, and supporting healthy peer relationships help middle school-aged children to be successful in school.
Weekly Tips for Families
Use consistent consequences for misbehavior while also recognizing and rewarding positive choices to reinforce self-control.
Set age-appropriate expectations for schoolwork, chores, and behavior, and check in regularly.
Foster independence by giving your child more responsibility over time while supporting emotional growth through open conversations about your child’s challenges and feelings.
Encourage your child to enjoy sports and extracurriculars but set limits to avoid overscheduling, ensuring that your child has time for schoolwork, rest, and family.
KEY RESOURCE
This video helps parents of middle school-aged children understand how their child's thinking evolves during these years, emphasizing the importance of adapting guidance to match this new level of cognitive and emotional complexity. It offers practical advice on how parents can respond effectively by supporting independence while maintaining structure and open communication.
Other Helpful Resources
This article describes how positive discipline (i.e., open communication, agreed-upon rules, and warm guidance) helps middle schoolers understand expectations, take responsibility, and learn from their behavior. It emphasizes involving children in setting family limits, using logical consequences, and reinforcing positive behavior.
https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/behaviour/behaviour-management-ideas/discipline
This short video highlights nine practical strategies for parenting pre-teens, emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication, building emotional connection, and respecting their growing need for independence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxBkXCTrh8s
