Ep.29 - Phyllis Fagell - Parenting Middle Schoolers - How to Survive & Thrive

Phyllis Fagell wears many hats, including - licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, author and journalist.
She is the author of two books:
Middle School Matters - The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond - And how parents can help (2019)
Middle School Superpowers - Raising Resilient Tweens
in Turbulent Times (2023)
In this conversation, Greg and Phyllis go deep on all the big
issues that parents of middle schoolers stress about out: technology, puberty, relationships, and more.
Check out the timestamps below:
(6:31) - Managing the academic transition to middle school
(10:52) - How to think about grades
(14:44) - Managing procrastination
(18:12) - When the teacher “doesn’t like” your kid
(21:47) - Teaching kids to self-advocate
(25:32) - The importance of keeping the conflict down at home
(26:44) - Helping kids manage puberty and “the talk”
(33:16) - Telling your kids about your own failures
(34:55) - The pain of social relationships gone wrong
(39:13) - How friend circles can and do change
(43:10) - Helping kids develop empathy
(44:56) - Technology and when to get a phone (maybe never?)
(54:14) - Strategies for protecting kids’ mental health
Make sure to follow Phyllis on:
Twitter/X - @Pfagell
Instagram - @pfagell
⁠phyllisfagell....
Make sure to follow Greg on:
Twitter/X - @gregorycampion
Subscribe to his newsletter: gregcampion.substack.com
Resources mentioned in the episode:
⁠Amaze.org⁠ - ways to talk to
your kids about puberty
⁠This is So Awkward - Modern Puberty Explained⁠
(Natterson, Bennett)
⁠Boys & Sex⁠, ⁠Girls & Sex⁠ (Ornstein)
⁠Growing up in Public⁠ (Heitner)
⁠Social Media Wellness⁠ (Homayoun)
⁠Cyberbullying.org⁠
⁠Stress Busters Workbook⁠ (Hurley)
⁠The Emotional Lives of Teenagers⁠ (Damour)
⁠The Confidence Code for Girls⁠ (Kay, Shipman,
Riley)
⁠How to Talk to Kids About Anything⁠
(Silverman)
⁠The Self-Driven Child⁠ (Stixrud, Johnson)
⁠The Addiction Innoculation⁠ (Lahey)