I experienced something for the last time today. I went on my last middle school trip with one of my boys. I have attended baseball games, football games, musicals, band concerts, choir concerts, speech contests, geography bees, and other events that I cannot recall. I have even eaten lunch with all three of my boys on numerous occasions during their middle school years. But that era is about to end. Mitchell will be a high school student next fall. I will close a chapter in my life that started when Randall entered 5th grade eleven years ago. I have learned a few things by interacting with middle school kids all of these years.

Here is my list:

1. Girls mature much more rapidly than boys both physically and emotionally. It is sort of amusing, but it also creates some real social challenges for the kids. I was acutely aware of that fact during the choir trip today. We need to be reminded of that reality, so we can be more patient with our children during their middle school years.

2. It seems to me that rookie teachers are often thrown into the middle school campuses. My boys have had some very competent young teachers during those years of their education. Randall’s 5th grade teachers were exceptionally good, but they were in their second or third year of teaching at the time. That is the reality. They are very young educators who lack the things that only experience can bring. I am reminded as a parent to be encouraging and supportive of the younger teachers. Be very cautious with the criticism.


3. Middle school should be a testing ground for kids. My older boys tried out things during their middle school years that they did not necessarily pursue for the duration of their high school experience. It appears that Mitchell will follow suit. I regret now pushing Randall to stay in band when he was in middle school. It should have been a testing ground for him. As a rookie parent of a pre-teen, I viewed those years as a foundation for high school extra-curricular activities instead of a testing ground. I do believe now that my paradigm was flawed.

4. I have never backed down from serving as a sponsor, eating with my kids at school, or showing up at their events during their middle school years. I have tried to keep my distance when they needed space, but I still showed up. I have made every mistake known to man as a parent, but that is one mistake I did not make. I would encourage all parents to show up and stay engaged.

As I sat in the back of my truck today enjoying a Subway sandwich with Mitchell and his buddies it occurred to me that it will be the last time to do that when that group of boys is middle school students. They will soon be eating in the back of a truck they drove to school themselves. I am closing an era of my parenting life and getting ready to move on to the next chapter. I am sure it will be equally interesting and very educational as well. The next chapter will include references to having two children in college at the same time. It could be that I will be living in the back of my truck as well as eating in it. I do I know that I am feeling a little nostalgic, because I indeed experienced something for the last time today.