So you have a sixth grader!

So, you have a sixth grader. It is hard to believe that your sixth grader is the same child they were last year. Sixth grade is a huge year when it comes to your child’s mental, emotional, physical, social, and academic development. Your child is going to grow away from you on the road to becoming an adult, and that is what you want. You want them to grow toward independence. But this is also a tough time for your young adolescent. She is undergoing physical and hormonal changes during this year. She has probably moved from being the oldest, and most socially dominant child in elementary school, to being the youngest and newest at a middle school, or junior high. That is a hard transition to make. Your child is going to turn to his friends for support during this time, and away form you, as the parent. And that is a hard place for you to be in also. Academically your sixth grader is growing as well. She will need to be able to write essays, well and often. She is going to need to be proficient at the four major operations of math. There are going to be new social pressures, and she is going to need to know how to say no, to drugs, to alcohol. She is going to need you, and at the same time she is going to be embarrassed by you, for no apparent reason. It is going to be a glorious year, hold on tight and enjoy the ride!