6 Things You Need to Know About Raising a Middle-Schooler

Updated on 7/17/2018 at 5:25 PM

If one thing can be said about Bo Burnham's debut feature film, Eighth Grade, it's that the movie isn't your run-of-the-mill coming-of-age story. While there are dozens of flicks out there that center on the first kiss between two tweens and romanticize the entire concept of growing up, Eighth Grade is not one of them.

Instead, the film focuses on Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), a 13-year-old with big dreams for the future, who, like most kids her age, is struggling with her confidence. Viewers are taken on a wild ride watching Kayla go through rites of passage like having a more-than-serious crush on the popular boy at school and dealing with moments of crippling insecurity at a pool party, all set to a pretty banging soundtrack.

Although the movie is certainly gritty — and will definitely make you cringe from secondhand embarrassment more than once — it perfectly nails what middle-school-aged kids have to deal with on a regular basis. So if you ever find yourself wondering what exactly your kiddo goes through on a daily basis, this movie can pretty much answer all your questions.

Scroll through all the important lessons that Eighth Grade tackles, and don't forget to check it out when it hits theaters on July 13.

They probably don't actually hate you.

Although your kiddo might seem more cold, standoffish, and generally more uninterested in you than ever before, it doesn't necessarily mean they hate you.

In Eighth Grade, we see Kayla pushing her dad (Josh Hamilton) away at points in the hopes of trying to establish some sort of independence, which, by the way, is very natural. So while it's certainly hurtful for your daughter to completely ignore you during dinner time, try your best not to take it too personally. They usually come around eventually, we promise!

Questions about sex are going to come up.

The rumors are true: the 13-year-old brain is pretty much always thinking about sex (thanks, hormones!), and Kayla is no exception. But rather than trying to avoid the ever-so-awkward conversation with your child about how to get it on safely, this flick will show you why there's no time like the present to lay it all on the table. After all, you wouldn't want your daughter getting her information about blow jobs from Google, would you?

They're very aware of the changes their bodies are undergoing.

Most grownups have a painfully awkward memory involving some sort of pool party — or, at the very least, being completely uncomfortable in their own skin in a social setting at least once in their lives.

Eighth Grade actually shows viewers what's going on inside Kayla's head during those especially cringeworthy moments. For parents who haven't been on the cusp of puberty in decades, her experience serves as a much-needed reminder about how awkward growing into your own body can be, so don't forget to go easy on your children.

Making — and staying friends — can be utterly exhausting in middle school.

Middle school is particularly touch-and-go in the friend department. Your child might go into sixth grade with her best friend of eight years and leave with a completely new group of besties who you barely know. The most helpful thing a parent can do during these years? Just listen, because, as you can see from Kayla's experience, friend groups during this time period can change on a weekly basis, so prepare yourself for frequent personnel changes.

They use social media in ways you can't even fathom.

Yes, back in the day we had our rotary phones and screen names on AIM. But thanks to smartphones, this generation of teenagers can take their pick from hundreds of apps and spend hours on Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube without so much as batting an eye. And if you think you're hip because you have a Facebook account, think again. Apparently, it's for "old people."

They really just want to fit in.

At the end of the day, most tweens and teens just strive to fit in. While Kayla learns to appreciate her quirks and revel in what makes her different from her peers, it's certainly not an easy process. As anyone who's passed through the halls of middle school knows, it can be a long and bumpy round for most kids — so be patient.