If your child is not interested in team sports, there are other physical activities such as track that they can join. If your child prefers to take walks with the family dog or participating in family sporting activities, you should encourage them. Children at this age will start experiencing growth spurts and other changes. Incorporating physical activities into their lives is very important. Whichever direction your child chooses, make sure that they are happy, they are getting enough sleep, and they are paying enough attention to their education. Social Learning In middle school, children can be very cruel to each other. It does not matter if they are ‘popular’ or not, your child will suffer from insults, name calling, and in some cases, fighting. This can be a very tense time for your child. They could withdraw while they are home, their grades could slip, and they might not take any interest in after school activities. The best thing you can do is ask questions and listen. You may not like the answers and you may not have much advice to offer. But listening can help your child realize that they are not alone. You should also be monitoring your child to make sure that they are completing their homework. Many times in an effort to be like other children in their class, they won’t complete their homework. You need to be firm about finishing homework each night. This could lead to more serious consequences later on. Middle school can also be the time when your child will make friends that they will have for a long time. They will begin to find an identity outside the home and they will be searching for acceptance. If you don’t like who your child is spending their free time with, you should try to get your child to find new friends. While you shouldn’t tell your child who they can be friends with, you should encourage your child to meet a wide variety of people.
read more