Last Updated on March 11, 2024

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The middle school years are difficult. Both for our middle schoolers and for us as their parents. Have you noticed parenting getting harder as your children hit the tween and teen years? Dr. Brenda Hunter and Kristen Blair co-authored a book to help parents face the challenges of parenting this unique age… from cell phone use starting younger and younger to having an intentional parenting plan to address cyber-bullying and sexting.

You might also like:

:: 30 Tips for Raising Middle Schoolers

Listen to both of their FamilyLife Today® broadcasts online here:

:: Setting Boundaries for Your Middle Schoolers
:: Unpacking Peer Pressure

Brenda Hunter, Ph.D.

Dr. Brenda Hunter is a psychologist and internationally published author. Educated at Georgetown University, she has served on two presidential commissions and written numerous books, including Home By ChoiceIn the Company of Women, and The Power of Mother Love. She has been profiled in national newspapers, such as The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post. In her role as an advocate for motherhood, she has appeared on NBC’s Today Show (Weekend)Larry King Live, and Focus on the Family radio. She lives and works as a psychotherapist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

To find out more about Dr. Hunter’s practice as a psychotherapist, click here.

 Kristen Blair

Kristen Blair is an education columnist and writer. Her articles have appeared in numerous newspapers and publications, including the Charlotte Observer, the Durham Herald-Sun, and Carolina Journal. Kristen has worked on family policy at the national level for the federal government and a presidential commission on urban families, and served as an education and cultural policy expert at Empower America, a Washington, DC-based conservative think tank. She is the mother of two children, ages 10 and 14, and lives with her family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

To read selected columns by Kristen Blair, click here.

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4 Comments

  1. Vanessa Chen says:

    so useful insights.

  2. Cellphones are not the enemy! Kids today are downloading apps such as KIK, Instagram, snap chat, etc… on their iPods, iPads, tablets and laptops. All that’s needed is an internet connection and they can sext and cyberbully just the same. These apps allow the users to easily delete any images or chats without a trace. Parents need to be aware of what their children are downloading.

  3. From Santa to Sexting is a very useful and wise book! I encourage all mothers of middle schoolers to read it. I also think Hannah Gresh
    Is bringing attention to a serious issue for our girls. Her attention to the sexual pressure on our youth today is vital. My book Daughters in Danger..Helping Girls Thrive in Today’s Culture addresses the fact that our culture is becoming coarser and more dangerous to the well being and health of our daughters as well as our sons. I hope and pray more parents like Kristen Blair and Hannah will take a stand
    and inspire parents to join them. When entertainers like Beyounce
    And Miley Cyrus are celebrated, our daughters receive very confusing messages.

  4. I have a 13 year old daughter and a 16 year old daughter with high functioning autism. My husband and I felt it was necessary for both our daughters to have a cell phone for safety purposes because they are often home alone after school and during the summer while we are at work. A lot of families still have a landline phone but we got rid of ours for financial reasons. With more and more families going wireless, the need increases for kids home alone to have a cell phone for security in case of an emergency and I can tell you both my daughters have used their phones to reach me during a very scary time for them. I will go read the book Santa to Sexting so I can make sure they use their phones wisely.