Reply to Is middle school miserable for most kids

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]MS is usually miserable for so many kids it makes me wonder why it even exists. Or what could be done, if anything to make it better.[/quote]

I mean the concept of middle school is fairly recent. Elementaries used to go through 6th grade and then you either had a junior high (7-9th) and high school (10-12) or in rare cases a combined high school that was 7-12.

At some point they figured out that separating all the super hormonal kids at peak puberty from everyone else would at least make elementary school and high school a bit better. But I don't think they've ever really figured out how to make middle school better serve the needs of this age group. I think a lot of it has to do with our discomfort as a society with kids sexually maturing. But it's made worse by increased pressure on kids academically. So basically middle school kids are given too little support with puberty and hormonal changes but are simultaneously told that if they aren't smart and accomplished enough it will ruin their entire lives. It's a recipe for disaster.

I feel like we should approach middle school like early childhood education. With a different focus of course but the same idea -- major focus on life skills and socio-emotional learning and then wrap the academics up in that package. But basically no focus on grades -- just meeting academic and developmental benchmarks and acclimating to the increased expectations of high school.[/quote]

Yikes no, it’s the opposite. MS kids are ready for challenges and independence. Babying them is the opposite of what they need. Academics and grades are totally appropriate. They also don’t generally need adult-led “social emotional” lessons; but guidance on how to resolve the issues that come up. [/quote]

I don't think it's babying them. Sure, you can ramp school work up a little bit, but don't forget that they're still kids.[/quote]

But they are not kids any more. They are not adults, either, but neither are they kids like five years olds are. It's hard for parents to accept that and it's often hard for them to accept that. But treating them as kids is not helping them.[/quote]

But, they are kids 11-14. You don't need to treat them like they're 3, but they should get to be kids. Have time to be kids, and do kid stuff. It's not like they stop being kids the second they start middle school. I dint know why adults expect that out of them. I'm glad adults didn't do that to me. Especially when I was only 11 and 12.[/quote]

The stop being kids the moment they enter puberty (it's not the same moment for everyone which is a part of the problem). They are now more interested in adult stuff than kid stuff. Nobody is making them grow up - they want to, and it's natural.[/quote]

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