3 Ways Parents Can Prepare Their Middle Schoolers for a Successful Back-to-School Season

Sharing is caring!

Middle school. Whether you loved it or hated it, you probably have strong feelings about it. If your kids are getting ready to start the back to school season on a middle school campus, here are the tips you need to know to make sure you’re prepared to make it as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

1. Don’t Skimp on Back-to-School Shoes

Once your kids hit junior high, they can’t get away with old, cheap shoes. From navigating new social hierarchies to starting school sports, good, high-quality back-to-shool shoes are one of the essentials that kids need to get them through the year ahead. They’re also something you don’t want to have to replace halfway through the first month of the school year. They’re one of the staples that really do return what you invest, so take some strain off of your future self and your future self’s kids and do it the right way off the bat. It’s just one less thing you’ll need to waste time doing again later.

2. Sign Them Up for Sports

No matter what your middle-school-aged kids are interested in, make sure they’re involved in sports of some kind. Whether they’re in after-school jump rope competitions or at soccer practice, giving your kids skills that they can develop, be proud of and use as a springboard to build friendships with is a game-changer, not just now, but throughout the rest of their lives. 

Learning how to take care of their bodies, find joy in exercise and movement and feed positive body image and mental health based on what their bodies and minds are capable of instead of what they look like, are just a few of the vital lessons sports provide that will shape the way their brain develops in the long run. Don’t let them miss out on this chance to develop skills that will serve them for a lifetime because they’re scared or don’t think it will be fun now.

3. Help Them Explore Their Interests

Middle school is a time of fundamental development in children. They start to create distance between themselves and their family in an attempt to start understanding themselves as a unique individual. This is normal and incredibly important to their growth and success later in life. But we all know middle schoolers aren’t exactly the best equipped to be making decisions on their own. Instead of letting them go wild and free during these years to figure things out on their own, give them a structured environment that keeps them busy, engaged and exploring new things while giving them new responsibilities. So many people make it out of high school and even college having no idea what they actually like or want to do. 

Help your kids start developing a healthy sense of self by exposing them to a variety of different experiences, skills, people and environments. Whether that’s through an after-school program, interesting clubs or taking part in student leadership, middle school is an amazing time to lay a foundation of interests that they can continue to pursue as they get older.

Back-to-School Success

The back-to-school season can be a stressful time for middle school kids and their parents alike, but with these tips, junior high can be a fun, exciting and growth-filled time for everyone in the family.