Given how fast children are growing up today, middle school has become perhaps the most
challenging time for both parents and their youngsters. In A Parents' Guide to the Middle
School Years Joe Bruzzese offers some practical suggestions on how to deal with the
critical years from sixth to eighth grade.
This parent and educator, who teaches at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
offers a proactive plan of action that will enhance communication and help parents find
workable solutions for their most pressing concerns.
Divided into six chapters, the topics the author addresses range from issues surrounding
peer relationships and advice on how to build a strong team of teachers, coaches,
counselors and other mentors, to how to help your child cope with academic challenges,
balance school and extracurricular activities, and deal with problems that may accompany
Internet use.
In the closing section, Bruzzese emphasizes the importance of maintaining a series of
family events that keep youngsters engaged with the rest of the family. He recommends the
creation of a vision for your family, so that the individual members don't suddenly begin
going their separate ways. The idea is to foster a common set of goals and interests that
keep everyone together.
Scattered throughout the book are "Coaching Tips" that provide parents with concrete
ways of helping their middle schoolers build confidence, maintain a family connection and
overcome the challenges faced away from home.