Writing

This is the final in my four-part series on raising middle schoolers. Read more…

During some interviews with grandparents, I found the universal sentiment that raising children “is harder today” for their children than it had been for the grandparents. Asked why, most of them commented on the role of technology, and when I interviewed current middle school parents, the majority of their worries were in some way related…

Sometimes I don’t know what is harder—being a middle schooler, or being the parent of one. I’ve always felt that the wounds your child receives cut you more deeply than those received personally. I often say that seventh grade was the worst year of my life. Many of my friends echo that sentiment. But when…

While I could have written an article about the middle school years based on my career as a school administrator, educational psychologist, and teacher, as well as my observations as a parent, I wanted to get out of my own head a bit, so I interviewed 15 parents of current middle schoolers around the country.…