Radio Commentary
The toughest time for parents to communicate with their children is
during the young adolescent years. Thinking ahead and helping children
structure tasks can be a great help.
In fact, one of the best tools for
parents is being prepared.
In the middle school years, get
ready for some conflicts. Think through what is truly important to you.
Is your child’s hairstyle as
important as homework? Isn’t curfew more of a concern than crabbiness? Dawdling
is easier to accept than drug use.
Know ahead of time what areas you
are willing to negotiate and which are absolute.
Helping young people structure
their own goals can also help. Sometimes they feel overwhelmed by tasks.
Think about it: A disastrous
bedroom, 12 overdue math assignments, a long-term project that’s “suddenly” due
in a few days or hours. All of these combined can make a preteen decide to give
up, rather than get started.
Help your child break those chores
into smaller parts: clean off the bed, get five assignments done tonight, and
assemble materials for the project.
This will help them structure the
tasks so they seem more approachable.
