Middle Years with Bridget KerMorris

Everyone Says My Kid Is So Resilient (here's why I bristle at that description)

Let me tell you who so often ends up sitting across from a trauma therapist twenty years later: a strong and resilient person. They're the kid who never made a fuss.

My Kid Says He's Not Lonely . . . So Why Am I Still Worried?

Your middle schooler says he’s not lonely. So why are you still worried? In this episode of Middle Years with Bridget KerMorris, I answer a mom whose 12-year-old son is

I Feel Pretty Much Invisible to My Kid (here's how to spot their backward glance)

Your middle schooler says “leave me alone,” slams the door, or falls apart the second they see you. It can feel like rejection but what if it’s actually a hidden reach?

With Friendships, Middle Schoolers Don't Always "Work It Out on Their Own" (and that's not a failing)

We tell middle schoolers to “work it out on their own” all the time. But what if that advice is leaving kids alone with relationship skills they haven’t actually learned

How Do I Keep Everyone In The House Safe? (when one kid's big feelings fill the whole house)

How do you make home a safe haven for a middle schooler whose big feelings are loud, when that same loudness makes home feel less safe for everyone else? In this episode

I Genuinely Don’t Understand Why This Is a Crisis (when your middle schooler gets completely stuck on something small)

When your middle schooler is melting down over a stained sweatshirt, a messy room, or something that seems objectively small, it can be hard not to think: Why is this suc

I'm Just Trying to Help . . . Why Does Everything Turn Into a Fight?

You ask about homework --> Your middle schooler gets defensive. You offer a reminder. --> They hear criticism. And before you know it, both of you are caught in a conve

Middle School Friendships Are Practice (and that's actually good news)

What if your middle schooler's friendship struggles aren't a sign that something is wrong? What if they're exactly where they're supposed to be? In

Am I Too Sensitive? (it hurts when your middle schooler argues with everything you say)

Am I too sensitive or is something else going on? Do you ever walk away from a conversation with your middle schooler feeling . . . dismissed and, well, kind of small?

“I Hate you!!” (exactly what to do when your middle schooler says something cruel)

When your middle schooler says, "I hate you," it hurts. Whether they say it once in a moment of frustration or it has become a daily pattern, those words can leave you w

Everything Is So Unfair! (what to do when your middle schooler puts your parenting on trial)

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly defending your parenting? Your middle schooler says, “That’s not fair!” and suddenly you’re explaining, justifying, presenting ev

I Don't Like My Middle Schooler Right Now (and I feel terrible about it)

Have you ever looked at your middle schooler and quietly wondered: "I love my child . . . why is it so hard to like them right now?" If so, this episode is for you. In

What If I Say The Wrong Thing? (parenting with Pride while your child navigates identity and uncertainty) CONTENT NOTE, episode includes brief discussion of depression, self harm, and suicidal ideation

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation in the context of supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. If you're listening with

My Daughter's Friendship Drama, I Have No Idea What To Do About It (what parents need to know about middle school friendships)

Friendships can feel like the hardest part of parenting a middle schooler. One day your daughter seems confident and grounded. The next, her mood, interests, or self-est

If It's Not Laziness, What Is It? (the ADHD question parents don't know to ask)

Your middle schooler is smart, capable, funny, and insightful . . . so why are they struggling with things that seem like they should be able to do? In this episode, Bri

I Hate Tech (when parenting in the digital world feels impossible)

Technology might be one of the hardest parts of parenting middle schoolers because technology asks us to lead through uncertainty. In this episode, Bridget answers two q

My Daughter Was Furious With Me

In the very first episode of Middle Years, Bridget answers a question from a mom whose sixth-grade daughter was furious with her after a difficult parenting decision. Wh

My Son Says He's Too Young to Date (but little sister thinks he has a girlfriend)

A mom discovers that her 12-year-old son may have his first crush, but he insists he's "too young to date." So what do you do when you know something about your mid

Welcome To Middle Years with Bridget KerMorris

Most parents of middle schoolers are trying so hard to get it right. We want to stay connected without hovering, help without overreacting, and raise a kid who feels deep