Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 13
Introduction: You've Just Arrived on Planet Middle School 15
They're up, they're down, they're floating in the stratosphere. But you can make these weird rears the best and most fun age of all.
1 Creature from the Black Lagoon 19
There's a new creature in your family room … that used to be your kid. Why your home and relationship can sometimes feel like a sci-fi flick, and what you can do to ease the transition.
2 Their Expanding Universe 32
What you need to know, and why you need to be along for the ride.
3 All Flared Up! 48
Why solar-flare emotions are an everyday drama, and what you can do to weather the sudden flashes of brightness.
4 Survival of the Fittest 60
Why your child will do almost anything to fit in, and what you can do to combat the intensity of peer pressure.
5 Walking on Polar Ice 76
All middle-schoolers are at risk, but some more than others. How to identify and help the ones who need it.
6 Confronting the Black Hole: Technology at Warp Speed 98
What you have to know to travel alongside and safeguard your kids.
7 Growing Up Way Too Fast 119
Why the ABCs-acceptance, belonging, and competence-are critical to keeping you and your child in the same stratosphere.
8 Becoming a (Gulp) Man/Woman 136
What you and your middle-schooler need to know about hormones and his or her changing body.
9 Blue Chip or Penny Stocks? 152
Talking to your kids about sex-and respecting themselves and others.
10 Understanding Who Your Kid Really Is 171
… And how he or she got to be that way.
11 How to Talk So They'll Listen 188
… And how to know when to shut up.
12 Expect the Best, Get the Best 206
Why training your kids, believing in them, and having positive expectations are power plays in the game of parental poker.
13 Raising a "Home" Boy/Girl 227
Your kids will belong somewhere. Why not make it your home?
14 Life-Mapping 241
It's never too early to plan your child's future, but you shouldn't be the one in the driver's seat.
15 Creating an Attitude of Gratitude 266
Why modeling and teaching this single character quality within the home is so critical.
16 Raising a Giver in a Gimme Generation 284
How giving without receiving can transform your child's world … and his or her life.
A Word of Encouragement 295
Conclusion 297
I guarantee you'll miss these days … someday.
A Middle-Schooler's 10 Commandments to Parents 301
Notes 303
About Dr. Kevin Leman 305
Resources Dr. Kevin Leman 307
