Make the most of the big-kid school years

As kids get older, it’s easy to mistake the desire and need for independence for the ability to manage all that is thrown at them during adolescence. Here’s a few tips to help navigate the middle and high school years while making the most of the time with your teens.

 

When toddlers turn to teenagers, you trade one kind of temper tantrum for another – ones that can be even more dramatic and moody. It’s also the natural time for parents to start taking a bit more of a backseat role, which can lead to confusion from both parents and kids as to who is responsible for what. Here’s some ways to help guide and provide what’s needed to ensure middle school and beyond are years spent building them up for success.

Big kids need big-kid supplies.
It’s easy to want them to stay little forever, but as kids enter middle school, it’s time to upgrade their gear to what will best suit their growing needs. Check out the Ellis Backpack to replace the backpacks they toted through elementary school. In addition to having more mature styling, the 20-liter backpack has eight pockets, a laptop sleeve, padded adjustable straps and a trolley strap – meaning it’s ready for the bigger books, computers and whatever other big-kid projects the middle and high school years will throw at them.

Set goals and help empower organization.
It’s time for kids to be in the driver’s seat of their education, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need guidance from you. Help them set academic goals for the school year – or whatever goals work for them. Would they benefit from adding a few more extracurricular activities? Or do they need to add in some areas to serve? Also, let them take over the evening and morning routines – turn over lunch packing (Hot lunches might appeal more to big kids as their pickiness wanes. Get them a double-walled insulated Provision Food Jar.), clothes prep and backpack prep to them, after a few successful lessons from you first.

Keep the routines from when they were little.
Ok, you might want to roll back that bedtime a bit, but keep the schedules and habits you created when your babies were little to see similar success with middle school and high school. It will always be true: Kids with enough sleep and good nutrition will be ready to learn.

Explore interests that might develop into a career. Does your kiddo love math and science? Do they love to create or does music light them up inside? Help them think through what they love, then encourage them in that direction. STEM Club in middle school could lead to majoring in engineering later. Or joining a debate club could produce a lawyer in the family. It’s never too early to start talking about how today’s passions could become tomorrow’s career.