As the mom of a middle schooler, I have to tell you that there were some great parenting tips on "Real Parents. Real Solutions." today. It's a difficult stage for parents and kids and my guests today really helped put it in perspective.
My friend, Sue Navratil, shared some successful parenting strategies that worked for her daughter who finished middle school last spring. Sarah Gillen, a parent coach, mom of a middle school grad, and co-author of "Parenting by Strengths" talked about the physiological changes that explain some of the behaviors middle school kids send oou way. Understanding this will belp us take it less personally. Steve Kahn, a psychologist who wrote the book "Insightful Parenting: Making Moments Count" (available at www.drstevekahn.com) reminded us that we have to be the calm one and keep the emotional connection uppermost in our thoughts so we respond in a way that protects the relationship.
There were many more useful strategies, so if you have a middle school child, you'll want to listen to the replay of "Middle School Drama: What's a Parent to Do?" Here's the link to listen or download it to your MP3 player: http://tinyurl.com/realparentsrealsolutions.
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