Sometimes I hear Emily and her friends talk about how some teachers have attitude when they speak to them, or how rude they are. It makes me wonder: Are we doing a disservice to our kids? We teach our kids to treat everyone the way we want to be treated, but I wonder if we are preparing them for the world of disappointment that awaits. Not every grown up is kind and thoughtful. Not every kid is either. Should we be preparing them for the inevitable? They need to know how to handle it — especially in middle school!
I try to remember it too — especially when I’m volunteering at the school. Sometimes people have bad days. Sometimes they have a lot going on. And yes, there are people who just aren’t nice. “It has nothing to do with you.” I hear myself telling Emily that too. I remind her that when she gets to middle school, she will have six different teachers — and they may not all be super friendly. Some will know who she is, while others will only know her as one of many students in the class.
That breaks my heart a little, but I understand the reality of 40-50 kids in a class.
How do you stand out from the crowd (in a good way)?
I want to give Emily all the tools she needs to be successful in middle school. I want her to know what questions to ask and how to find the answers when she is feeling lost. I think all parents want this for their kids. I’m no different than any of the other parents preparing to let their babies fly our of the nest and test their wings. But they aren’t little birds. I remember middle school feeling like a battlefield. Everyone was trying on different personas. Some were harsh and cruel, while others were kind.
Maybe it’s good for the kids to learn that not everyone is nice and not everyone will be kind in middle school. This is where they can start building their proverbial armor and not be the wide-eyed and eager soldiers going to battle without protection.
I don’t have the answers. I’ll be winging it and hoping not to embarrass my kid too badly in the process. I’ll remind her to go in with the best attitude! That’s all we can do, right?
Do you have sage advice to share?? Let us know in the comments. Are you in the same boat with your kid? Tell me all about it!
To Your Success!
Sarah
Sarah is a native Los Angeleno with the heart of a Chicagoan. She loves A Cappella music, cooking, and swing dancing. When she’s not helping raise money for schools, sports teams and clubs, she is hanging out with and loving life with her husband and girls. For more information about what she does professionally, check out www.amomsguidetoschoolfundraising.com
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/venosdale/5881269922/”>venspired</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>