When they were babies we charted every milestone and precious moment of our little one’s lives, sighing with relief to learn they were “normal”, smiling triumphantly when they were advanced, and fretting too much over delays. Armed with a stack of baby books and websites, we made sure we stayed the developmental course.
But by the time your child reaches middle school, there are far fewer resources to figure out if you’re on track. I polled parents on my facebook page (and added plenty of my own) to come up with a list.
By the start of middle school, every child should be able to:
• pack their own lunch every day
• take a shower every day
• know who to call and how to find their number for a homework assignment
• have excellent phone manners when speaking to an adult
• order for themselves at a restaurant
• prepare at least three meals on their own
• make a bed
• mow the lawn
• deposit and withdraw from a bank account
• do a load of laundry
• take out the garbage
• load and unload the dishwasher
• make eye contact when talking with adults
• shake hands
• use I statements in a conversation
• make plans with someone outside of school
• swim
• thread a needle, sew a button, do a quick whipstitch
• how to hold the door open withOUT blocking someone’s passage (please!)
And they should know:
• all the proper terms for their anatomy
• all the aspects of puberty for both boys and girls
• one subject outside of school for which they have a passion
• how to quit something well
• the difference between constructive and mean spirited criticism
• the difference between bullying and being mean
• the names of two adults other than parents they can call if they have a question or crisis
• why it’s important to show up on time
• online etiquette and safety
Which are most important to you? I hope you’ll add any I missed to the comments below. Thanks!
Michelle Icard is our resident middle school expert. Please visit her website: www.MichelleintheMiddle.com and like her on facebook: www.facebook.com/middleschoolrelief.
3 comments
It seems time continue to moves quicker and quicker as they continue to grow!
Thanks for Middle School Milestones | Charlotte Smarty Pants
I am genuinely glad to read this weblog posts which includes plenty
of useful facts, thanks for providing these information.
One of the very most essential applications of 3D influences health-related
discipline. Not only does Samsung UN46D8000 have wonderful features,
yet it’s also made from environmentally materials.
Everything loaded faster, queued faster and only agreed to be
better around the Roku 3 compared to predecessor models for me and during
my testing.