Middle school is a whirlwind of change, and a significant part involves navigating the complex world of friendships and peer pressure. As parents and guardians, you play a crucial role in helping your child develop healthy social skills and make sound decisions. Providing some practical strategies and insights to support your child during this time may be beneficial!

Peer relationships are oftentimes one of the most important parts of middle school. Middle schoolers are highly influenced by their peers, and acceptance and belonging are paramount.

Friendships help develop social skills, empathy, and a sense of identity, and sometimes, peer pressure can be involved. Peer pressure can be both positive and negative and can involve direct pressure (e.g., being asked to do something) or indirect pressure (e.g., observing others). Middle schoolers can be vulnerable to this due to their desire to fit in.

Strategies for Parents and Guardians:

Open Communication is Key:

Create a safe and non-judgmental space for your child to discuss their social experiences.
Listen actively and empathetically.
Ask open-ended questions like, "Tell me about your friends at school," or "What's been challenging in your friendships lately?"

Building Self-Esteem and Confidence:

Help your child recognize their strengths and value their individuality.
Encourage participation in activities that build confidence and social skills.
Help them understand that it is ok to be themselves.

Teaching Assertiveness and Refusal Skills:

Role-play scenarios involving peer pressure and practice assertive responses.
Help your child develop "exit strategies" for uncomfortable situations.
Teach them that "no" is a complete sentence.

Identifying Healthy Friendships:

Discuss the qualities of good friends: respect, trust, support, and kindness.
Help your child recognize red flags in unhealthy friendships: bullying, manipulation, or negativity.
Help them to understand the difference between friends and acquaintances.

Navigating Social Media:

Discuss online safety and responsible social media use.
Monitor your child's online activity and be aware of cyberbullying.
Encourage face-to-face interactions and limit screen time.

Addressing Peer Pressure:

Help your child understand the potential consequences of giving in to negative peer pressure.
Discuss strategies for resisting pressure, such as finding allies or suggesting alternative activities.
Reinforce that true friends will respect their decisions.

Supporting Emotional Regulation:

Middle school can be emotionally charged. Help your child to recognize and process their emotions.
Teach healthy coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety.
Encourage them to seek help from trusted adults when needed.

Modeling Healthy Relationships:

Children learn by observing. Demonstrate healthy communication and conflict resolution in your relationships.
Show your child how to maintain healthy boundaries.

Navigating friendships and peer pressure is an essential part of growing up. By providing your child with support, guidance, and open communication, you can help them build healthy relationships and develop the resilience they need to thrive in middle school and beyond.

Please remember that our Dean of Students, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and I are more than happy to help support students and families with friend issues. Do not hesitate to reach out with any concerns.

Advisory Class

This month in advisory class, students discussed how to learn from our mistakes, create a positive school culture, and handle bullying. We also have a fun Crews activity and assembly in the coming weeks!

Also, don’t forget to send in your Food Drive donation. Students should know what to bring! Students can count each item towards their community service hours. Sixth-grade students need 10 hours, seventh-grade students need 15, and eighth-grade students need 20 hours.