Whether she is voicing it or not, your 8th grade girl is nervous about starting high school next year.
And who can blame her? This may be one of the biggest transitions she has ever faced. But have no fear, you can begin to set her mind at ease and help her get excited about all the changes. Here are some simple ways you can help her realize she is ready for high school.
- Test her independence: I highly recommend finding ways to set up mini, confidence boosting situations for your daughter so she can experience being independent. Start small by asking that she order and pay for her coffee at the coffee shop, or have her pick up the phone and call to make her next appointment. These small tests will help her practice assertiveness and build confidence in her ability to “make it” in the world. As her confidence grows, continue to offer her opportunities to practice independence in safe environments… trips to the mall, outings with friends, planning a party, babysitting, doing her own laundry, cooking for family; all of these things help kids feel more grown up.
- Teach her to view homework as a priority: If your daughter can make homework a priority for the rest of her 8th grade year, it will be a much easier transition when her homework load increases next year. I encourage teens to do homework as soon as possible after the school day, so that they can enjoy the remainder of their evening with family or friends without anything hanging over their heads. Too often, I see high school students putting off their homework until the very last minute. This leads to late night cram sessions, and tired kids in the morning. No one does their best work late at night. Teaching your kids to take care of homework right away may be the key to fighting procrastination (<– a rampant problem in teen world).
- Encourage her to say YES: Getting your daughter to say yes to new experiences will teach her that awesome things happen outside of our comfort zones. Walking into high school on the first day is uncomfortable to say the least… there are so many unknowns! Will she have any friends in her classes? Will she even be able to find her classes? WHO will she sit with at lunch? Her mind will be spinning with all of these questions, and more. Sit down with her before the first day of school and remind her of all the experiences she’s had where she was nervous, but she did it, and it (whatever it is) was AWESOME. Start now, and find ways to get her out of her comfort zone… a new sports team, summer camp, guitar lessons, book club, whatever it is that is new and exciting.
Rest assured, that once she’s survived the first day, it will get easier and easier. If you want to go above and beyond to help your girl feel ready, check out my group for 8th grade girls! We meet once a month and talk about the major stumbling blocks teens face in high school. Something magical happens when girls who may have otherwise never met, get together to support each other, have fun together, and learn from one another and that is what this group is all about.
Click for more info about High School Prep (Starting in March!)
