Welcome to the Great Lakes Students parent page!

This four-week series will help your middle schooler navigate the many changes they face in this phase. Changes in their body, in their interests, with friends, in their mood, and changes at home can feel like a lot of unknowns to deal with! Remember, everyone deals with change differently. Some middle schoolers may get excited by change, and others may feel overwhelmed at the thought of it. This series will give them practical, spiritual truths they can hold onto as they go into the unknown.

No matter what our feelings are on change, to some extent, change is hard for everyone. Even good change disrupts our worlds. Which is why,
in a world where it feels like everything changes,
it’s important to center ourselves around the One who never changes. In this series, high schoolers will unpack how even if change is challenging, there is a way through it, counting on the One whose love and commitment to us never changes.

Sometimes such shifts in behavior are clear as day; other times they’re more subtle. Regardless, they tend to induce a stress response in us as parents almost always. These are the moments we have a choice to make. We can rail against these changes. We can check out. We can pretend they aren’t happening and avoid them altogether. Or we can be brave and lean in.

Anxiety can show itself in our kids in a variety of ways depending on their ages, but some of the signs to look for include a loss in interest in normal activities, a change in eating habits, irritability, stomach pain, and angry outbursts. If ignored, kids can feel alone and shame.

Navigating difficult terrain is all part of the parenting journey. It will never be easy. But in a crisis, it is mission-critical to help kids make sense of what’s happening and manage any anxiety they may be experiencing.