Honest Advice to Parents from Middle School Students
I really wish you wouldn’t…
blame me for everything.
hold me responsible for the mistakes my siblings make.
put so much pressure on me (sports, grades, etc.).
compare me to others, and accept me for who I am.
focus on everything I did wrong, and don’t acknowledge me when I do things right.
I wish…
you would be more encouraging.
I could spend more time with my dad.
you would let me have my say sometimes; I actually have some good ideas.
we had more fun together.
I wish you understood…
how easily you could hurt my feelings.
how difficult it is for me to make friends.
that I worry a lot — about everything.
that I can’t do everything at once.
Fact:
“Even when parents are able to remain calm and avoid yelling, kids pick up on the tension in the home and experience stress, anxiety and other negative emotions as a result.”
– U.S. News and World Report
I really do want you to…
talk to me about why you two got divorced.
realize that, just because I’m a child, doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.
know that when you argue it worries me.
I wonder what would happen if…
you let me try new things, instead of forcing me to do what you think I should do.
you saw all sides of me instead of just the side of me that’s around you.
Three groups of middle-schoolers were asked what they would like to have more of: privacy, time with their parents, time with their friends, or time on their phones or electronics. Their answers may surprise you.
Special thanks to Ella Dukes for illustrating this article. Ella Dukes is a 6th grader who attends DCMS. Her passions include drawing, writing and reading.