Peer Issues

• Help your child learn to navigate changes they can expect to see in middle school. Friend changes, strong emotions, and development of new interests are all part of the experience. Empower your child to take charge of his/her growth and not to feel like (or be) the victim when they experience challenges.

• Peer pressure/problem solving skills:

  • Parents can help by role playing or coaching their kids through tough times. (e.g. what can you say or do if one of your friends wants to sit with someone else at lunch). It is tempting to want to step in but this ultimately won’t be as useful as helping your child learn how to handle the situation on his/her own.

  • Be careful to separate your own experiences in middle school from what your child is experiencing. Many of us do not have fond memories of middle school. It’s important not to project our own perhaps negative experiences on our child and add to their anxieties.

  • A big parent and student concern in middle school is bullying. Bullying is taken very seriously by all middle school staff. They have received training and do their best to deal with incidents as they made aware of them. Since school staff don’t witness or hear about everything, it’s helpful to talk with your child at home about what he/she is experiencing and help problem-solve with them. Let the school know what is happening to come up with a plan.

  • Take this bullying quiz to learn more: https://forms.gle/5M7WmM1qpxSRsCnf9