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Middle School Makeover! Enter to Win Michelle Icard's New Book

July 21, 2014

When my kids were little and I would talk to my mom or sister about the problems I was having dealing with tantrums, potty training etc. they always would say “Little kids little problems, big kids big problems” to be honest it used to bug me like crazy! When I had 3 kids at home all under the age of 5 I could not imagine a time when parenting could be any more difficult. Well, I hate to admit it but they were right, with my oldest poised to enter Middle School this fall I have reached a very scary time in parenting. When they are little I had more control over who they played with, what they were exposed to and what they watched. Over the last year I have seen my influence with my son’s choices start to slip away. His father has become his preferred parent and he and his friends are stepping into a whole new world. When my son and I trudge through a new issue I always tell him “listen, I am trying to figure this out also, you’re the first 11 year old I have had”.


Last month, I saw that Michelle Icard’s book, Middle School Makeover, was released, just in time to help take the fear of sending my fist child into the jungle on Middle School. If you are not familiar with Michelle she is the guru on all things Middle School. Her popular website, Michelle in the Middle, has been the go to resource for parents of tweens and teens. She is the creator behind Athena’s Path and Hero’s Pursuit, two very popular camps for kids entering and in Middle School, she also is a nationally recognized speaker and expert in her field. I sent Michelle an email a few weeks ago and asked her if I could review a copy of her book Middle School Makeover and I may or may not have confessed my own terror in sending my son to Middle School. She has assured me Middle School is nothing to be afraid of and if I am prepared it will be some of the best years we will have together, setting the stage for a confident kid into High School and beyond. 



     
       

Middle School Makeover is just that, this book is geared towards parents of kids 10-14 and offers solid guidance for navigating what Middle School holds for families. I have always been a fan of Love and Logic parenting and Middle School Makeover felt like an extension of that philosophy, with tactics like "Botox Brow" Michelle offers ideas on how to take the emotion out of how you react to your child when they say something that may otherwise send you over the edge. She lays out several scenarios that we will most likely face at some point and offers advice on how to react. Middle School Makeover offers great ideas on how to manage social media (I had a mini heart attack when my son asked for an Instagram account a few weeks ago), bullying, cell phones, avoiding dreaded clothing battles (I'm looking at those of you who smuggled different clothes to school and changed #guilty), dating, the growing desire for independence, the birds and the bees and more. Middle School Makeover is really a must have manual for surviving Middle School. If you have a kiddo entering 5th grade this year, I suggest you read it NOW, get ahead of the game because some of these issues start to show up in 5th grade. If you have a kiddo in or starting Middle School run, don't walk to get this book. After reading it I feel more confident about what is heading my way, while I know that there will be issues that will throw me for a loop at least now I feel like I have a reference that I can go back to and get advice as I need it. 

Middle School Makeover is $14.40 on Amazon for paperback and $10.49 for Kindle.

We have a copy to give away to another SCMK Middle School Mama in panic mode! To be entered to win leave us a comment below and tell us what scares you the most about sending your kids off to Middle School. Winner will be selected at random and notified via email. Winner must be a SCMK subscriber to win! 

Need more Michelle in the Middle? Register for her sister-in-law Ashley Icard's Back to School Boot Camp for rising 7th-10th graders, register your daughter for Michelle's awesome camps, Athena's Path or your son for Hero's Pursuit this summer. Michelle also offers private sessions for kids and families. In addition check out Michelle in the Middle's website, follow Michelle in the Middle on Facebook and Twitter