Helping Your Daughter Survive Middle School

Address Anxieties

• The move from elementary to middle school can create high anxiety for your daughter -- and for you. She'll likely be moving to a bigger school with different teachers. She'll likely be required to move between classes, manage a locker, nd interact with new peers. Don't trivialize her feelings with a vague "Oh, you'll be fine." Rather, discuss her anxieties. Attend school orientations and meetings if they're offered. If she's worried about changing classes, visit the school before classes start and walk through her schedule with her.

Discuss Body Changes

• As your daughter enters puberty, raging adolescent hormones can make you feel like you're raising a werewolf instead of a daughter. These hormonal changes can cause mood swings, irrational impulses, emotional outbursts and struggles with body image, and these changes can have a direct effect on her academics and social development. If you haven't already, talk about the onset of puberty with your daughter. Although it can be awkward, answer her questions honestly and openly and teach her about the physical changes that will be taking place as she matures.

Listen and Communicate

• It's easy to dismiss your tween daughter's problems as trivial, but to her, they're anything but. Don't tell her to "get over it" or that she's being "overly dramatic." If she is chattering on that her "life is over" because her friend went to the movies with a boy she secretly likes, don't roll your eyes. Instead, give her your full attention, listen without judging and offer advice if she asks for it. After all, if she finds herself in any sort of trouble at school, you'll want her to feel comfortable knowing she can talk to you, even if she knows there will be consequences.

Monitor Internet and Texting

• Because "fitting in" is so important to middle schoolers, social cruelty can get worse. Most social media outlets bar users younger than 13, but many middle school students and their parents ignore these guidelines. However, social media and texting make it increasingly easy to taunt, slander and victimize peers. Make sure your child knows her limits when it comes to proper use of technology. Set usage limits and monitor her online activity. If she has a cellphone, conduct random spot-checks of her text messaging, and stay of top of her social media and instant messaging accounts.

Limit Media Exposure

• According to Pbs.org, the media actually "sets the tone" for girls in middle school. The jazzy advertisements targeted at her age group can make her feel like she won't be cool if she doesn't have the newest gadgets, best clothes and latest music, and this pressure can affect everything from a tween's social life to her emotional development to her body image. Talk about and set limits about what your daughter can watch, listen to and wear, and help her learn to make wise choices when it comes to the powerful influence of advertisers.