Life in the Middle Years

LIFE IN THE MIDDLE YEARS

Summary

8-12 Years

Pre-requisite for this Course: Must have completed Growing Kids God’s Way /Parenting the Tree Of Life

The middle-years is one of the most amazing phases of childhood and unsuspicious time for parents. It is a season in which that son or daughter in your home is too old to be called a child, but too young to be labelled an adolescent. From a growth and developmental standpoint, the middle years is a period in which children begin the long process of metamorphosis—moving away from childhood dependencies, associations, and interests, and moving toward a self-reliance directed more and more by the beliefs and values of their home life.

One of the subtle challenges of middle-years parenting (comparatively speaking) is the deceptive appearance of calm. For most parents, having just come out of the busy training years associated with early childhood, and having not yet stepped into the fast-paced adolescence phase, the middle years almost seem like a rest stop. However, such appearances are deceiving. We equate the middle childhood years with the flow of a deep water stream. The surface will often look calm, but lying just below the calm is unharnessed energy waiting to be released. It is the smooth and calm of the water’s surface that can cause parents to accept the middle-years as a seemingly uneventful period of time in the journey of childhood—a time when Mum and Dad can relax and put things on cruise control. However, that would be a mistake! It is the energy of the unseen, lying just below the surface, which parents must be mindful of. Life in the Middle Years brings the needed knowledge and understanding that can help any parent make wise training decisions.

Course Delivery: Life in the Middle Years course is 4 sessions of 3 hours each. Participants attend class once a week with other families. Participants need to pre-read and prepare for each week’s lesson. During class the focus will be on case studies and group discussions. The learning methodology is socratic.  Each couple will receive a course manual and homework to complete.

 

Session 1: Middle-Years Parenting in the Digital Age

  • Parenthood Journey
  • 5 Purposes of this Class
  • What We Are Assuming
  • 9 Transitions Between 8-12 years old
  • Ideas Have Consequences
  • Childhood Structure to Maturity
  • Having An Adult Relationship with Your Middle Year Child
  • Steps to Align Values
  • Appeal Process

 

Session 2: Your Child’s Changing World 

  • Relational Goal of Parenting
  • 4 Phases of Parenting
  • Building Family Identity
  • Our Family Core Values
  • Ubiquitous Assimilation
  • Power of Community
  • Elders at the Gates
  • Spirit of Excellent
  • Silent vs Moral Courage
  • Seek First to Understand
  • Empathic Listening
  • Autobiographical Response
  • Psychological Air
  • Key to Influencing
  • Nature of Communication
  • Every Communications have Agenda
  • Communication vs Coercion
  • Intimacy & Change

 

Session 3: Correction and Encouragement Strategies

  • How to Be Pro-Active?
  • Discipline Flow Chart
  • Correction
  • The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
  • Punishment & Consequences
  • Performance Focused vs Heart Focused
  • 3 Hacks to Fix The Bad and The Ugly
  • Case Studies

 

Session 4: Challenges, Changes and Solutions

Sexuality

  • Trivium Technique
  • Self-Touch
  • Wet Dreams
  • House Rules
  • Four Areas of Consciousness

Digital

  • Digital Institute
  • DQ Framework
  • ICT in Primary School Years
  • ICT Usage
  • Recommendations for Parents
  • Common ICT Dangers & Trends
  • 9 Ways to Respond to Cyberbullying
  • Is My Child Ready for a Smartphone?
No upcoming sessions.