Brad Paisley’s classic song “Letter to Me” tells a story of a man listing everything he wish he could have told “his self at 17.” Have you ever thought about what you would say if you could talk to your middle school self? This week, Ginger Matthews, a member of our Parenting Pathway Team,...
Help Your Kids Navigate Friend Drama
Do you remember middle school? You know, those years where your body was growing and changing almost every day—one day you wake up and your feet are two sizes too big for your body, and you suddenly have acne all over your face and hair in new places. Middle school is also a time...
What’s Going On In There…Understanding the Mind of Your Middle Schooler
I was standing by the door of an SUV, a new middle school minister, trying to reassure a dad twice my age that he did not have to worry, his precious daughter/princess would not be in any danger. You see, in our small junior high youth group, we had decided to go clean up...
The Art of Timely Talks
My family and I live about 30 miles from town. It was a conscious decision to move that far for lots of family and lifestyle reasons, but an unintended consequence was the amount of time spent in the car each week. On the best of days, it is a minimum 30-minute drive (one way) to...
Changes and the Life of a Middle School Boy
One of the most offensive yet decent words in the English language is the word “change.” The mention of change has the ability to turn a good day into a bad one. Most people don’t like change because it causes discomfort. Adults faced with change can experience a roller coaster of emotions that include...
Changes and the Life of a Middle School Girl
It was kind of quiet around our house this past Sunday evening. We were each reflecting on our summer and mourning that it was coming to a close. What is it about going back to school that causes large emotional swings in our family? Could it be that change isn’t just hard for adults,...