Any thoughts on middle school?

Those of you out there with little children, I see you. I know your struggles. Worrying about if they will fall in the swimming pool. Wander out of the yard. Barrel through an intersection on their bike.

Just wait. Till middle school. Then you will really have something to worry about.

*  *  *

Our house is still a construction zone.

I’m behind in some work, so to flee the buzzing saws and clanging hammers, I took up a spot in our library.

It’s a wonderful new space for which I am thankful.

While I was sitting here amongst the books and crying babies, a gaggle of younger looking adults filtered in the building.

They broke off into packs of two and one of these bitty groups approached me.

“Ma’am, we are students from the University of Georgia, would you mind answering a few questions?”

I used to hate it when I was “ma’amed” but now I know that children raised in the South can’t help it. Those who were raised right anyway.

Turns out they were student teachers who were going to be interning at the middle school.

They asked me how long we had been living here. And what I liked about living in a small town. What I didn’t like so much.

Then they asked me about the middle school. What did I think about it?

It’s funny. Well, not really funny how much your children change from 5th grade in the elementary school and their 6th grade year at in middle school.

It’s like they become 12 and flip the numbers around. They think they are 21.

And most 21 year olds don’t like being told what to do all the time by their parents.

That’s what most surprised me as a parent. How that one who used to look at you with adoring eyes now thinks you are the most unhip, uncool — the mom least liked by all their friends — on the planet.

And that’s on a good day.

Talking to these future middle school educators, I realized how tough it is to be a middle school parent — and a middle school educator. We are fighting a tidal wave of data these children receive from the online adult world.

A world they are in many ways not prepared for.

Check your child’s texts. What they are doing on social media sites. I knew my daughter was on Instagram. I didn’t know she had 2,000 followers and was following over 5,000 people.

 That was a fun day my friends — 

The day I told her we were shutting down that account and creating a private one.

Come to think of it, I need to check how many followers she’s up to and what she’s been posting.

My daughter is a great kid. A smart kid. And that is part of the problem. We as parents get busy with obligations of our own and there is all this secret squirrel data transferring back and forth between the younger crowd.

I don’t let her Facebook. Or Tweet. Or have a blog.

I know she will have a blog one day — so remember, whatever you read about me — there are two sides to every story.

That brief conversation today crystalized my thoughts about middle school. It is the toughest water to navigate — in my non-professional opinion. I’m thankful for the school we have in Morgan County and for the teachers that come to make a difference every day.

As parents, we have to stay vigilant. Just the thought of checking all the texts and emails and social networks can be exhausting.

Come to think of it, I haven’t looked at my daughter’s phone lately.

Oy vey.

Any thoughts on middle school?