The Mission

Project Perfect Parent's mission is to bring quality psychologically proven research and advice into the household of every parent. We hope to share our scientifically tested theories to help shape parents into the best parents that they could possibly be and help create a better tomorrow for the children of today.

The Project Perfect Parent crew knows that holding your child for the first time can be one of the most beautiful and nerve-racking experiences of your life. You realize in those little nickel sized eyeballs lay a future that you as a parent can either make or break. You can shape a child destined for a life of endless opportunity or not. However, being a parent is a blessing, although it can sometimes seem like the hardest job in the world. Project Perfect Parent is a parenting plan here to help you be the best parent you can be. We are here to help ease your troubled thoughts, so you can focus less on if you are doing the right thing and focus more on just loving your beautiful children. Although their is not such thing as a "Perfect Parent," Project Perfect Parent is here to make you as close as you can get.

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Attention: This Blog is for Mr. Gorst's AP Psychology Class

Monday, February 16, 2015

Parenting from Middle School to High school

The Middle School years for a child can be some of the hardest years for a parent. You child is making so many changes socially, physically, and emotionally that can take a toll not only on the fragile tween to teenage but also on the parent watching their baby grow into an adult. Around this age it is also very important that your child is meeting their cognitive and psychological developmental needs in order to progress onto high school. In order to help parents to identify the desirable characteristics of a middle school child heading into high school, I once again formulated a list of characteristics that would be very advantageous for a adolescent age child to demonstrate.

Middle School Development (12-14 years)
  1. Comfortable sense of identity- adequate sense of self both uniquely and socially accepted
    • As a parent, helping a child gain a sense of identity can be a royal struggle. Some adolescents are pushing you away and that is a perfectly normal part of finding out who they are as an individual. What can you do? Above all, encourage your child to explore different social groups, identities, and do not patronize. Denying a child can cause them to act out and turn to peers who may experience destructive behavior. Give your child space, yet try to be informed and involved in their activities at a safe level
      • For example: Encourage your child to hang out with different friend groups, wear different clothes, and be a unique individual; however, if their actions ever turn towards a self-destructive aim, be stern yet empathetic in addressing the situation and dissolve the unhealthy behavior.
  2. Begin Formal Operational thought stage- ability to think abstractly
    •  During this age, adolescents start to gain an ability to think more "outside of the box." In order to help stimulate this, you as a parent can help by talking with your child and having debates and discussions about abstract concepts such as existence, fairness, and morals. Being open with your child and helping start such conversation can help stimulate their thought process and lead to more advanced cognitive ability.
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