When your child was younger, you made nearly all the important decisions for him. But now that he is in middle school, it’s time to pull back a little bit. Now is the time for your child to begin using the lessons you’ve taught him to make decisions.

Guide your child toward making good decisions by:

• Encouraging him to tell you what he thinks. Listen respectfully and ask questions. “Why do you think that?” “What do you think would happen if you did that?” Don’t criticize. Your goal is to help him look at things from different angles.
• Letting him know you trust him. If your child is still running to you to solve his every problem, start shifting some of the responsibility back to him. “I really believe that you can come up with some good ideas for working this out. Why don’t you think about it for a little while? Then we can talk about some of your ideas.”

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