Junior high or middle school is a time of change and adjustment, hitting right into those tween years crucial for a child’s development. It’s essential to provide an excellent environment for students during this time. That is to ensure that they are growing into well-rounded individuals who are equipped to face adulthood. Part of this is being supportive and staying attuned to their needs, especially if there might be a problem. Thus, middle schools in certain areas are becoming more mindful of the student population and how they are coping and learning.
As a parent, here are some persistent issues that you should be watchful for, especially when looking for an excellent place to enroll your child:
· Bullying
Too often, kids aren’t telling their parents about being bullied. Statistics show that in bullying cases, only 40% of them involved telling an adult. Fear, shame, and isolation all play a part in this. They make it essential to spot signs of bullying so that you can take action and make the child feel more comfortable and safer speaking up. The government has even started guidelines to help identify these signals because of the rampancy.
If your child is becoming more aloof, jittery, skipping meals, having trouble sleeping, covering up unexplained bruises, avoiding school, and feeling depressed, it could be glaring signals of being bullied. On the flip side, it’s also vital to note their friend group and behavior in case they might be the ones doing the bullying, even if we don’t want to think they’d be capable of it.
· Academic Issues
Rigorous standardized testing and the combined ills of modern-day developments are causing more and more youths to become swamped with mental health problems because of their academics. Anxiety and depression are more rampant than ever in the younger generation, and the age when this happens continues to get younger. Even then, there are not enough counselors on deck to handle the number of students who need guidance (at least in state-run institutions).
Surveys have shown that most of the trouble that has impacted today’s students is about the workload they are given and worrying about their grades. Ensure you are providing an open space for them to air out their concerns and frustrations at home. You should be monitoring their well-being in line with their academic achievement.
· Stress and Self-Consciousness
Along this same vein, stress levels are problematic among kids in middle and high school. The great way to circumvent this is to find a school environment conducive to learning without creating a negative atmosphere. These days, many institutions follow a more adaptive approach that caters to each individual’s learning capabilities and pace so that every child is learning instead of just running after marks. The good thing is that this also rings true in various schools that are still tuition-free.
Aside from the environment, several internal changes affect their self-esteem to be expected during this time. Make sure you communicate well to help them adapt to these changes and soldier on healthily.
Staying attuned to these issues can help you prevent them from getting worse. Doing so helps your child have a happy school life that adequately preps them for life.