Very helpful resources for parents

<p>Hello all! I just wanted to share some books that really helped our family handle the challenges and issues of getting through high school and preparing for college. Currently, I have one 8th grader, a sophomore high schooler, and a college student, so over the past few years, running a household with three kids has given our family lots of trial-by-fire experiences with high school studying and preparing for college! </p>

<p>Here’s a list of books that really got us through those difficult (and sometimes chaotic!) transitional years from middle school to high school and then from high school to college. As a parent who's been dazed and confused about all of the information out there on the Internet and books, these three books really nailed the right information in a concise, quick-read approach. I've added a link for each book, in case you'd like to read more about it.</p>

<p>Middle school: Too old for this, too young for that! By Harriet Mosatche, PhD. and Karen Unger
A really good book that deals with the core academic, social, and psychological issues of your middle schooler in an easy-to-read, fun format. </p>

<p>Link: Too</a> Old For This, Too Young For That!</p>

<p>High school: Are you really ready for college? By Robert Neuman, PhD.
This guidebook was highly recommended by some friends and WE’RE THEY RIGHT IN DOING SO! We got copies for BOTH our kids and ourselves so that we could follow along with the book’s 12 strategies to help our kids become independent learners. The book is very easy to read and has many insights from the former Dean of Wisconsin’s largest private university, solving the major problems high schoolers get into – like keeping an organized schedule, setting goals, knowing how to efficiently study and communicate with advisors. This is a MUST HAVE for any family who wants their kid to really get prepared for college and save expensive tuition money by getting the high grades to graduate in four years. </p>

<p>Link: Are</a> you ready for college? - Home Page</p>

<p>College: Campus Calm University By Maria Pascucci<br>
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul meets study skills for college. It’s a good morale booster that gives a detailed and (from my experiences) accurate picture of what campus life is like. There’s some good material in this book, like how to cope with grades and the stresses of social life, that’ll put parents at ease, knowing that their kid has some good sense in handling the independent college life. </p>

<p>Link: Campus</a> Calm University: The College Student's 10-Step Blueprint to Stop Stressing & Create a Happy, Purposeful Life</p>

<p>Hope this gives your family some guidance! These books helped us get both our kids and ourselves on track for those really important, life-changing years. </p>

<p>I guess one last word of advice is that as parents, your child’s education is also YOUR education. We all know that we want the best for our daughter or son, but too often, our kids don’t really see that. They think we nag too much about getting good grades or thinking about college. But check out these books, because they’ll make a big difference for you and your child in understanding how important succeeding in high school and college is – and that doing it together is the ONLY way. </p>

<p>***Please use this thread to share any other resources that other parents would find helpful in navigating through these challenging times! I’ll probably be adding a few more, later on. Thanks!</p>

<p>Nice! My kids liked Tray Gourmet – first recommended to me here on CC. It helped them deal with the switch from home cooking to freshman cafeteria food. Cleverly written by two Yale students, it’s got fun illustrations and do-able recipes, easy paperback take-away. Looking daily at cold cubes of cheddar cheese, raisins and an apple is much more exciting, imaging them mixed together and microwave-cooked as a baked apple. :p</p>

<p>We liked “The Naked Roommate” by Harlan Cohen. Humorous, down to earth advice for college. We read it together the summer before DD’s left for school.</p>