Nobody told us what to expect ... babies and toddlers we read about, and people warned us in hushed tones about the dreadful teen years, but nobody told us, "Just wait till they're in middle school!" This week on Facebook Live we took questions from parents of pre-teens, asking them "What are you having struggles with?" That's the meat of this week's podcast - real live Q&A about dealing with the challenges of tweens!

Whether you call them pre-teens, tweens, middle-schoolers, or something else, your child will go through a transitional period between "clearly a little kid" to "definitely a teenager." That catches most of us by surprise. Why is that? Probably because we're anticipating the physical changes - his voice cracks, she starts her cycle, he's got a proud new whisker, she is starting to get a figure. Before those outward changes appear, there's a tidal wave of hormones that start the body's transformation, and those hormones cause all sorts of effects in their thinking, their emotions, and even their spiritual lives.

What's more important, our families stumble into a relationship minefield at this point. If we don't recognize what's happening and handle it right, we can end up with strained, bent, or broken relationships with our pre-teens.

But it's also an opportunity. If we can come alongside our sons and daughters during this time and give them understanding, guidance, and encouragement - as well as discipleship and discipline when needed - we can lay foundations for a great relationship during the exciting years ahead!

Questions we addressed ... 

7:21 - They're so addleheaded in school

11:21 - Highly emotional but lacking in perspective

13:03 - They make wild assertions with no basis in reality

14:16 - The personal challenge of discipleship

14:56 - How to manage a changing school situation

17:37 - What about transitioning to adulthood - even with special needs

20:32 - Suddenly, there's social anxiety

23:36 - He's struggling in school and hates it

26:35 - A normally friendly boy growing quiet and withdrawn

28:01 - Tips for overcoming shyness

Resources we recommended ...

Our new book, No Longer Little: Parenting Tweens with Grace and Hope

- Read reviews here

Dianne Craft's Brain Integration Therapy Manual

Our growing selection of classic, character-building audiobooks