Middle schoolers want to be more independent, but sometimes they don’t know how to say no to peers. To help your child, try using a “code word.”
Agree on a word in advance. If she uses it when she calls, ask her if she needs help. She can then say yes or no. If it’s yes, she can use the rest of the conversation to sound disappointed that you are “making” her come home now.
Reprinted with permission from the November 2005 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (Middle School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2005 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Gail Saltz, “Kid facing peer pressure? How to battle back,” MSNBC.com, www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5897077/print/1/displaymode/1098.