Parenting Pathway: Parenting Through Mentors and Modeling

Parenting changes as your child reaches their preteen years (7–13). At this stage, your role as a parent is to model appropriate social behavior, allow your child more independence (i.e. staying home alone, first phone, less control of screen time), and assess risks for things such as bullying, risky behavior, and self-harming. Inviting mentors into your child’s life at this stage encourages them to develop lifelong relationships (investors, positive influencers, and encouragers), and gives you additional insight into your own child’s life. The line between too much and too little independence presents new challenges for parents, so come to this class for resources and practical tips on parenting your preteen.