Middle school is a critical stage that parents can’t afford to ignore. These years of rapid change offer a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, being their own advocates and more.
To answer parents’ most common questions and struggles, Phyllis Fagell combines her professional and personal expertise with stories and advice from prominent psychologists, doctors, parents, educators, school professionals and middle schoolers themselves. Fagell, the author of Middle School Matters, is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, journalist, and a mom of three. She currently works full-time as a school counselor in Washington, D.C. and provides therapy to children, teens and adults in her private practice.