How to Help Your Middle Schooler Succeed in School

Tired of fighting with your tween about homework, grades, and phones? Middle school is a big jump, and many kids who breezed through elementary school suddenly start to struggle. The good news is that more nagging isn't the answer.

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In this episode, I sit down with JoAnn Schauf, a former school counselor known as the Parent Whisperer, founder of Your Tween and You, and author of Loving the Alien: How to Parent Your Tween. JoAnn shares how to help your middle schooler build motivation, study habits, and real ownership of their schoolwork, without constant battles.

One of her best tips: stop checking the grade portal. Instead, sit down once a week, maybe with a treat, and let your tween open it and walk you through the story behind the grades.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to make a phone plan with your tween instead of fighting about it
• Why your tween should set their own grade goals
• Why grades often drop in middle school, and how to keep your tween from giving up
• Why to stop checking the grade portal, and what to do instead
• How to turn mistakes and failed tests into learning
• How to build on your tween's strengths and learning style

EPISODE CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Getting your tween ready for school
• 00:58 JoAnn's story as a school counselor
• 02:15 Why phones cause so many school battles
• 05:22 How to make a tech plan together
• 11:58 Letting your tween set their own grade goals
• 15:14 Why middle school feels so much harder
• 17:17 How to build motivation without nagging
• 20:49 Why you should stop checking the grade portal
• 22:56 Giving your tween ownership
• 26:10 Why failing in middle school is a gift
• 28:27 Learning through your tween's strengths
• 32:50 Why your tone matters
• 34:07 Three takeaways for parents

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Loving the Alien: How to Parent Your Tween by JoAnn Schauf

CONNECT WITH JOANN SCHAUF

• Website: YourTweenandYou.com
• Instagram: @YourTweenandYou
• YouTube: Your Tween and You
• Facebook: @YourTweenandYou
• LinkedIn: JoAnn Schauf

CONNECT WITH DR. CAM CASWELL

• Website: AskDrCam.com
• Instagram: @DrCamCaswell
• Parenting Teens Academy

ABOUT THE SHOW

Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam is hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach. Each episode gives you practical strategies, expert advice, and real-world insight to build a stronger relationship with your teen.

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