As my oldest child experiences the middle school years, I find myself needing to transition and develop right along with her. One of the ways adjustment is needed is in the area of our daily routine. While a routine provides necessary structure, my child’s growing maturity reminds me that it is also time for me to introduce some freedoms. This is the perfect time for me to make adjustments, because she is mature enough to handle some freedom, but she is young enough to be trained in how to manage that freedom.
Giving our children structure and also giving them freedom may sound like an oxymoron, but in actuality, these important but opposite elements, which we the parents measure and determine, can and should work together hand-in-hand.
Why are both important? A structured day is necessary to our child’s daily success and sanity, while freedom to make choices and manage time and behaviors is important to experiencing eventual independence and happiness.