It’s a new school year, and I feel like I’m on the edge of new territory. We have a 6 year old and a 6th grader, and I can’t even wrap my mind around it. Our 6th grader is taller than me, right on the verge of becoming a teenager.
Recently I saw a wall of brochures advertising different types of groups to join, and one of the groups was a “Middle School Moms Support Group.” Although I laughed when I saw it, now I wonder if there is one in our area. This isn’t about my son; he is truly wonderful. It’s just that the middle school years are full of so many incredible changes.
I want him to remember that he is enough through every phase and change. While there will be fun adventures and changes that make no sense to him, this is a time that can be so confusing. In the midst of all those transitions, the things that are consistent stand out. I want the love and support that he feels from us, his parents, to be one of those constants.
I want to cherish these in between moments, the moments in between childhood and adolescence. I am holding on to the fact that he still wants me to read with him every night before bedtime and that he isn’t embarrassed to be seen with me. I love that when he hangs out with his friends they are funny, silly, and entertaining, yet on the verge of becoming young men. All of it is so in-between stages, while still being in its own unique stage. He still gives me hugs and tells my I’m the best mom, but I know he is noticing girls his age.
While it’s an in between time, it’s also such a critical time. While he is getting more and more independent and becoming his own self more fully, he needs us as his parents to be a strong foundation for all of the questions and new beginnings. I want to hold on to these moments before he is a teenager, because I can already see glimpses of the amazing young man that he is becoming. I want him to have fun, but to also make wise choices. I’m also going to try to have a strong sense of humor over the next few years as we traverse these new adventures.
All of it reminds me to cherish every phase that he’s going through, because as a I look at him and then his 6 year old brother, I see how quickly the phases happen. It reminds me how fascinating each phase is all on its own.
I am reminding myself to stay in the moment and enjoy who my middle schooler is right now. I also can’t wait to see who he becomes.
