Best 5 Tips for Parents of High School Freshmen
Parents,
You might have to be slightly more invisible from now on...Here are some tips to start strong!
Let the kids advocate for themselves. Our local high school is a huge supporter of this. And it’s so great to be able to watch your kids take these steps towards adulthood while you’re still close enough by to catch them if you need to.
Trust your kids until they give you reason not to. We were so strict with our oldest son who was always looking for the fun. I was terrified that he was going to get into trouble, so we kept him on a very short leash. This totally backfired and forced him to sneak around us in order to have a normal high school life. So again, trust your kids until they give you reason not to. This is a much better plan. (Thankfully our sweet boy turned out great in spite of me being so tough!)
Volunteer where your kids are. What brings them joy will likely bring you joy, too. And you won’t believe how much you will get back, even if you can only volunteer a little bit of time.
Go to as much of the high school fun as you can. It all goes so fast. When everything was shut down during Covid, I realized quickly how much I missed it. So as soon as the world opened up, I went to everything I could. Cheering for your kids and the kids of others is just so much fun!
Give yourself grace. You’re going to make mistakes. But as long as your heart is in the right place and the best interest of your child is your guide, don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go perfectly.