7 Ways to Help Your Child Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School

At this age, your child's brain is only halfway developed, so they are bound to stumble when it comes to decision making. Let them stumble! Each time they do, they practice using their brain to find better solutions. This may become frustrating for you, as you want your child to do the right thing all the time. But Icard writes that you must "maintain sympathy for how weak his decision making, impulse control, and critical thinking skills are." If you worry about your child doing something that can put them in serious danger, Icard says it's OK to step in and implement her problem-solving practice.

Source: Flickr user mrpetersonline