Cate

Surviving & thriving in middle school

August 12, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’m a 41-year-old mom, and I’d still say one of the hardest years of my life was seventh grade. Friendships were awkward. Lines between girl-boy relationships were becoming blurred. I wanted to be who everyone wanted me to be while trying to accept and understand who God made me. That doesn’t even touch on how the academics became harder, lockers brought out anxiety, and extra-curricular activities stole time.

Now, I’m raising a middle schooler and two other kids who will be middle schoolers. Thankfully, our first couple of years in this hormonal season have been pleasant. Of course, I’m not who I was at 12 and my daughter Cate isn’t me.

While there’s no perfect system for surviving – even thriving! – in these years, there are valuable resources for parents and their kids. A new guidebook in our house is “Important Things Every Kid Should Know to Survive Middle School: Follow God, Try New Things, and Don’t Freak Out” by Sandy Silverthorne. There you have it. Advice right there in the subtitle!

Yes, I asked my girl, who starts eighth grade than two weeks, to read through this book and tell me what she thought of it. In true first-born, get-it-done ways, she made me a bulleted list of her thoughts, so I’ll share those with y’all:

The cartoon characters help express what author Sandy Silverthorne is saying.
The quizzes help readers sort out their thoughts about who they are.
The whole book helps people relax if they’re nervous about school.
Very helpful tips throughout the book combat middle school fears, prepare for school stuff like lockers and classes, and sort out thoughts.
The “Checking In” sections are good reminders that God is always with you to help you get over whatever nervousness or challenges you’re facing.

Of course, who knows what this school year will look like! Thanks to the coronavirus and social distancing, we’re winging it like everyone else, making plans that will probably change, and taking life a day at a time. Even so, when my girl has questions, I’m glad she has a new resource to help her navigate this crazy life.

About this book

This thorough (and thoroughly humorous) guide will equip your child with practical advice on how to manage middle school. Kids will learn what to expect on their first day, where they fit in, how to get over middle school phobia, and much more!

Important Things Every Kid Should Know to Survive Middle School is a 140-page paperback book is published by Harvest House (May 5, 2020). It’s also available on Amazon as a Kindle book.

About the author

Sandy Silverthorne has been writing and illustrating books since 1988 and has more than 600,000 copies in print. His award-winning Great Bible Adventure children’s series sold more than 180,000 copies and has been distributed worldwide in eight languages. He’s worked with Focus on the Family, Universal Studios, and the Charlotte Hornets. Connect with him at sandysilverthornebooks.com.

*****

I received a free copy of this book from the author to share with my middle schooler. We only recommend products we truly enjoy and find helpful.

She’s a teenager!

May 6, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Happy THIRTEENTH birthday, Catherine Anna! How is that even possible? You made me a mom, and, in so many ways, we’ve grown up together.

I know you want to take some friends to an escape room and the mall to celebrate, but we obviously can’t do that right now in these social-distancing days. We’re going to make you grilled chicken, baked potatoes, squash and zucchini, and chocolate cake tonight. And we’ll keep on celebrating your precious life.

You finish seventh grade in two days. It’s been a great school year that got interrupted when we started non-traditional instruction days almost two months ago. But you’ve thrived anyway. You’ve learned alongside your school friends on Google Hangouts and Google Classroom. You’ve loved having some expanded access to technology at home and keep up with your friends that way.

You bravely started playing basketball this past winter. We pushed you a tiny bit to play on the school team when you expressed interest, but that’s all it took for you to go all in. You were part of your school’s first-ever middle school girls’ basketball team, which won some games and got beat by 30 in other games. I am incredibly proud of how you tried something new, got out on that court in front of a crowd, and had a great attitude regardless of the score. You improved with each practice and game, but, most importantly, I saw you belong on a team and find some common ground with your brother. I love watching you love something, and seeing that overflow into other parts of your life. You create art with basketballs on it. The dynamic in your small middle school class shifted as several of you and your friends bonded over your new sport love.

You’re an awesome big sister. You help mother Ben and Rachel — even when they don’t like it. I trust you to do what you say you’re going to do. You care about our family and how everyone fits together. You’re fun to play board games with, even if you regularly beat me in Splendor. With all this time at home lately, I’ve enjoyed watching musical reality shows with you. We’re making our way through The Voice, Songland, and The Masked Singer. Of course, I love watching and talking Survivor with you too.

Your faith is quiet but steady. You’re a reliable daughter, sister, and friend. You have lots of ideas — and most don’t revolve around keeping your room organized! But you are quick to help me make dinner or ask what you can do to help. I don’t understand your love of Crocs, scrunchies, or distressed jeans, but I’m obviously not as cool as you.

I love who you are, Cate. You’re easy to parent and a joy to be around. Just don’t be so hard on yourself.

Love, Mom

*****

Look back on Cate’s life through other letters and birthday posts: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Baptism. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

Having faith even on-the-go

January 23, 2020 by Kristin 1 Comment

I thought this month might be a little slower than the pace at which we finished 2019. That hasn’t really happened. Of course, then I realized having a family of five with five different schedules, commitments, preferences, and personalities requires a pace that may be quicker and more constant than what I might choose if it were just me. I’m so grateful it’s not just me – and that I’m in a season of seeing my people as individuals and not only a family. Some days I’m better at that than others. But here we are, swiftly moving into 2020.

Cate is right between 12 and 13 years old. She’s a seventh-grader who often acts older than that in all kinds of good, mature ways. There’s a fine line between treating her as an almost-teenager and protecting some of her innocence. I have no idea how well I’m walking that line.

But I know I’m grateful she reads devotionals and recognizes God’s hand in her life. That seems like the best place to be in the midst of a new season neither of us has either been before. But life gets busy, and sometimes that means spending time in God’s Word – our very best guide to any season of life – gets cut short or pushed aside.

I don’t want Cate to not read the Bible and get life lessons from her Creator. When I saw “On-the-Go Devotional,” I knew this slim book packed with truth for teens was just what we needed in our house. Thankfully, it now lives by Cate’s bed and she’s making her way through the 200 devotionals. Cate, who is the most introverted person in this family, likes that the devotions are quick to make a point.

Each devotion helps readers get to the core of the passage with bulleted facts or action points, and the devotions even include an application, so teens can take the message on the go with them. This book is a great resource for any day, regardless of the pace, because each devotion includes a reading suggestion for digging deeper into God’s Word.

About the book

Physically, “On-the-Go Devotional” is compact and lightweight, but its pages are filled with 200 thought-provoking devotions about 20 topics relevant to teens. This 208-page paperback book is published by B&H Kids (Nov. 12, 2019).

*****

I received a free copy of this book as part of the B&H/Lifeway Bloggers program in exchange for a review. Cate really is reading and enjoying it – although not while hoverboarding around the house. I added it to my list of recommended inspirational books for teens.