Middle school students are in a developmental phase where they strive for independence, but cherish the safety of dependency.
This is a period of flux and uncertainty for many of them.
Their community of perceived greatest support is among their peers, and apart from the home.
This is the age span where parental duties related to career planning require patience and blatant support.
These adolescents now encounter several different teachers each day instead of just one.
There may also be a guidance counselor in the school.
While the teachers will not likely infuse career concepts in their subject matter, the guidance person is responsible for scheduling the academic classes for your child.
Your communication with the counselor should help plan the greatest variety in coursework to prepare for the broadest future career options.
Don't bypass that opportunity! During this period of development, peer group pressure is influenced through the many school and community youth groups available for joining.
Since self and relationship awareness is an important element in career planning at this age, your parent duty is to positively influence choices among these youth groups.
In all likelihood, you will be the transporter of your child to and from these group events.
Use that travel time to discuss the successes and disappointments during the meeting together of the group.
Discuss (not argue) primary ways your child might improve group behavior.
This private time of choice awareness will be a future benefit for the many career choices that emerge throughout life.
RESOURCES An individual resource to use for estimating those occupations that relate to your child's current (though preliminary) vocational interests is available on the Internet site: careerfit-test.
The test results are a validated list of occupations, accompanied by a page of career resources to use for more detailed occupation exploration.
Especially important for your parent role is the discovery of academic courses related to success in the occupations on the list.
A fun game that can be helpful for exploring work values can be created at home.
The purpose of this game is to look at personal values important for job choice.
Fold a paper lengthwise and tear into two pieces.
On one piece draw eight lines equally spaced down the page.
On the other piece write the work value words: income; prestige; leadership; help others; variety; leisure; security; and independence.
Assign each value word 10 points.
Have game players decide which value would be the most important requirement in their chosen job.
Do the same ranking with their next most important, and so on.
Now, ask them to write only one value on each line they created on the first page.
Not all values need to be used and the same value may be written more than once, but the total can't be more than 80.
Share the results among the group.
Self-awareness is the goal of this fun exercise.
The premier internet-based career and high school planning program is licensed to schools, with the opportunity for students to log in on a home computer.
With over thirty years of development, the DISCOVER program can be sampled on: act/discover.
Your duty should lead you to make influential school persons aware of the program and urge school or community service groups to fund its implementation, benefiting students.
This is the third in a series to outline parent duties that will enhance your child's career maturation, when applied throughout their formal education, and beyond.
Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.