hehehe. Mikey has a forum over on his business website and there are lots of pre-teen and nearly teen kids who hang out there. They sometimes bug the hell out of us, but I am glad they have a safe place to be. One of the kids is starting 8th grade this fall and asked for advise (there are several teachers or former teachers that post there too). I had fun coming up with these words of wisdom...anything I should add?

Well, my advise would be the same for anyone starting any grade...

1. Pay attention in class. The more you get during school hours, the less you have to do out of school. That may not be a very teacherly thing to say, but I think it's good to know. So many kids hate school because it eats up their fun time. If they used their school time more efficiently, that wouldn't happen. I am not saying that if you pay attention you don't have to do any outside work. I'm just saying it would be significantly less.

2. Do your homework ASAP. There are multiple reasons for this. You get it over with and no one will be bothering you saying "have you done your homework yet??". You do it while the information is good and fresh in your mind. It doesn't pile up. Nothing is more frustrating or harder to overcome than a backlog of homework that you don't really remember in the first place. So keep it current.

3. Make new friends. I am sure that you have lots of friends. But new ones are always good. You find out about new things, learn about people who are different and can nearly always find someone to hang with if you don't limit yourself. I didn't do this in high school, I was too shy and I regret it.

4 Stick by your friends. Basically that means be nice! As a teacher I see so much back stabbing and name calling and rudeness between people who used to be best friends. Have some loyalty. I will qualify that statement though. I am talking about friends who have earned it. People who are mean to you, get you into trouble or are only interested in you when you have some new toy to share are NOT your friends. Find someone else to hang with.

5. Be careful. There are lots of things happening in the world today. It is a scary place sometimes. I know that teens feel invincible, but you aren't. Drugs, alcohol, sex, guns, strangers - they are all even more dangerous if you think they can't hurt you. So be careful. Be smart. You are facing way more issues than even I had to face and it wasn't that long ago that I was in high school myself. You also have access to way more information than I did. Use it and be smart. THINK!

6. Finally, don't lose touch with your parents. I remember thinking that my parents were totally clueless and had no idea what I was going through. I was wrong. Parents remember what being a kid was like and it scares them to have to watch you go through all the same things they did. Be patient with them and remember that all they really want is to make sure you are safe. Let them know who you are hanging with, where you are going, what you are doing. If it is something you can't tell them about, chances are you shouldn't be doing it...think twice before you do something stupid. (See #5)

So...that is my long, long rant. I know you will ignore most of my advise, after all, that is what teenagers do best! I hope some of it means something to you though. I wish you well and I am sure you will have a blast in 8th grade. Keep us posted! : )

Being a kid these days is tough! And being a teenager is a wierd, scary thing. I remember getting very upset, arguing with my dad and feeling like no one in the world had ever been as misunderstood and mistreated as myself! Now I think back and I wonder "what the hell?". Yikes. I wouldn't go back there for anything in the world. I'm just glad I made it out in one peice, which is better than I can say for lots of my friends.