5 Book Recommendations for Parents: The Middle School Years
The onset of adolescence and the exam period. We have gathered five book recommendations, from communication to potential, for parents of middle school children.
As parents grow up again alongside their children, they constantly have to adapt to new processes. For the middle school years, when many changes such as the onset of adolescence and the exam period take place, we have gathered five book recommendations that range from improving communication to getting through the exam period in good health, from bringing out potential to transforming behavior.
1. The Five Love Languages of Children · Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell
Speaking your child's dominant love language means letting them know that you love them; this gives them both confidence and hope.
It can be a bedside book for parents. It categorizes the ways children feel and show love as five separate languages and offers roadmaps suited to these languages. Taking love as its compass, the book brings a fresh breath not only to your relationship with your child but with everyone you love.
2. The Family That Leads to Success · Doğan Cüceloğlu
If you want "to help your child become the architect of their own life", this book can help you.
It explains the scientific methods for getting through this process in a healthy and successful way, especially for parents whose child is in the exam period. Cüceloğlu's sincere, conversational style brings parents great awareness.
3. Every Child Is Gifted · Bahar Eriş
Equal opportunity in education is not giving everyone the same education, but giving everyone the chance to realize their potential.
While it provides extensive information on the education of children with special needs, it offers eye-opening content for all parents. Emphasizing different types of intelligence and talents, the book believes there is a potential within every child waiting to be discovered, and suggests methods to bring it out.
4. The Happiest Kids in the World · Rina Mae Acosta, Michele Hutchison
Happiness is giving children time and freedom for their hobbies, without making them feel they will fail if they do not win a gold medal.
Setting out from the fact that Dutch children ranked first in happiness in UNICEF's research on child well-being, two immigrant mothers share the secret of this happiness. Comparing the education systems of different countries, the book touches on almost every topic, from stress-free education, discipline and independence to adolescence.
5. The Art of Playing · Aletha J. Solter
Play is one of the best ways to recharge your child's emotional energy.
Placing secure attachment between child and parent at the center, it suggests games that provide it. While letting you spend time that is both fun and instructive, it also offers solutions for transforming unwanted behavior through play.
In brief
- The middle school years are a transitional period when adolescence and exams arrive together.
- These five books cover communication, exams, potential, happiness and play.
- Their common thread: focusing not on changing the child, but on understanding them.
When choosing books for a child you can look at our age-based guide, and for the reading habit our The Parent's Role in Raising a Book Lover article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these books only for parents of middle school children?
Although their focus is the middle school years, topics such as love languages, potential and play offer a valuable perspective for every age.
Which one should I start with for the exam period?
Doğan Cüceloğlu's "The Family That Leads to Success" can be a good starting point for parents who want to manage the exam process in a healthy way.
Gökkuşağı Koleji · The parent who grows up alongside the child.