Life transitions are stressful, and moving from elementary school to middle school is no exception. This particular transition is complicated even more by the onset of puberty, so many changes in such a short period of time. Whether or not your daughter voices her worries, they are there. Here are three easy ways to ease her mind as middle school looms closer and closer.
- Help her connect with a friend(s) that will be going to the same school next year. Ideas: Host a t-shirt making party where they get to decorate a t-shirt with their new school colors, plan a slumber party, or ask the principal of their new school to host a private tour just for them. Good friends make everything easier.
- Get her involved in a fall sport. It doesn’t matter if she isn’t athletic (it’s middle school). Many teams begin practicing before the first day of school and your daughter will have the opportunity to meet a ton of new people before school starts. This alone can change the course of her year. *If she really hates the idea of a sport, try to get her plugged into a club that meets during the first week of the school year, this will accomplish a similar sense of belonging that will help her flourish*
- Teach her to assertiveness. Girls thrive when they can ask for what they need and she will feel more confident in her classes and her friendships. Make a list of everyday ways your daughter can practice assertiveness… ordering her own food, checking herself in at appointments, calling a friend and setting up a time to hang out, asking questions in class, introducing herself to people (eye contact, and a great handshake), and the list goes on.
More important than any of these tips, is to create an open line of communication with your daughter. Remind her frequently that she can talk to you about her worries and fears. It’s especially important to check in with your daughter during the first few months of middle school. Ask questions like, “Who did you eat lunch with today?,” and ask about the best, and worst parts of her day. No one knows your child better than you, so you can do this!
*BONUS TIP *if this transitions overwhelms both you and your daughter, check out our LIFEcamp for Middle School Girls, first session is March 11-13th!
