As parents, the welcome relief of the “old enough to take care of themselves but young enough to still like their parents” tweens years can seem like heaven. When my kids were old enough to discuss things, make their own lunch and get dressed on their own, I felt so free. As a mom, I thought the tween years were just easier times for parents and more carefree innocent days for my kids. But what my 10 years of teaching Sunday School to tweens has allowed me to witness shocked even me. We can’t coast during the tween years! Here are 5 conversations you must have with your tween before they enter the teenage years. [Read more…]
Entering the middle school years was a sigh of relief. The minute to minute energy needed for little ones was mentally overwhelming for me. Finally, I had a second to my own thoughts! But wait! There was a whole other mountain range of challenges that lay ahead in parenting the middle school years. Yikes! Are you in the midst of the transition as a mom from littles to a mom of pre-teens? If you feel a bit thrown off course, it is normal. Get ready to forge ahead into these exciting years, taking along this survival guide for the struggling mom parenting middle-schoolers! 