Tonight, I am going to my middle school’s first dance of the year, and I’m so excited. Earlier, I was talking with my mom, and we were talking about what I would consider the dos and don’ts (mainly don’ts) for parents of middle schoolers going to dances, and I decided that you should know, too.
There are a lot of things you shouldn’t do, so here is my list of don’ts:
- 1. Don’t ever, ever make a big deal about saying good bye, love you or anything like that when your child gets out of the car. He will be very embarrassed and mad at you! Especially middle school girls, they are so dramatic!
- 2. Never fuss over your child, she wants to feel independent, dances are an independence thing.
- 3. Don’t chaperone, that is really awkward for the teen or tween. Also, a lot of schools don’t have parents chaperone. At my school, teachers do all the chaperoning.
- 4. Don’t worry about you child’s safety. This is a middle school dance, not a heavy metal concert with a mosh pit. Also, many schools have a police officer there.
- 5. If you are worried about rude music, don’t. Most schools play edited versions and are selective. There will be some rude lyrics, but if you think you child doesn’t listen to any rude music, think again.
Here are some things you should do:
- 1. You should help out with his or her outfit, especially if your teen or tween is a girl. My sister was freaking out about her outfit a week before the dance!
- 2. Give him food money, because going to a dance and not getting to eat or drink is uncool (trust me).
- 3. Be nice about it, don’t tease or make fun of her, that’s just mean, and some kids are self-conscious about things like that.
Dance are a big deal for middle school kids, so let them have fun and don’t be controlling. It’s all in good fun!