Radio Commentary
The toughest time for parents to communicate with their children is during the young adolescent years. Thinking ahead about your own standards, and helping children structure their 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. Before any issue reaches a boiling point, think carefully about what is truly important to you.
Know ahead of time what areas you are willing to negotiate and which are absolute for you.
Here’s another tip. When young people are feeling overwhelmed, help them organize their goals and tasks clearly.
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. For example: clean off the bed, get five assignments done tonight, and assemble materials for the project.
This will help them structure the tasks so that they seem more approachable and doable.
