As a mom of 4, I've done every parenting phase. Middle school has been the hardest — and the most humbling.

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Mother and Children Watching Sunset
The author says that parenting middle schoolers can be hard.

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A thoughtful teacher helped me and my twin after I hesitantly told her we were late to school because we were homeless

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A teacher helps her students working on an assignment.
A teacher helps her students work on an assignment.

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I started obsessing over my son's school supply list. I realized I was just anxious about him starting middle school.

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a bus filled with middle school kids
The author was worried about her middle schooler.

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My daughter attends an IB charter school. Her student-driven classes are more about mastery than memorization.

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selfie of Jamie Davis Smith and her daughter
The author, left, and her daughter, who attends an IB charter school.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith

Stanley cups are tearing apart middle schools

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Middle-school aged girl has her hand in her face because her peers are making fun of her across the schoolyard.
Some middle schoolers report they're getting made fun of because they don't have the latest Stanley Quencher cup.

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Why you should probably learn Gen Alpha slang, according to a millennial teacher who's fluent

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Philip Lindsay wearing a multi-colored shirt.
Philip Lindsay teaches 11- to 14-year-olds in Arizona.

Courtesy of Philip Lindsay.

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