December Update

Hi,

I hope you all have a happy and relaxing holiday season — whatever shape it takes. As I said in a recent Your Teen article (below), it’s perfectly okay to aim for “good enough.” 

I know many of you are struggling right now. I’m hearing that from everyone. The end of the year is a good time to reflect on what we can and can’t control, and on what we might need to tweak in our lives to feel more centered. As a friend suggested, it’s helpful to periodically ask ourselves: “What are the operating instructions for me?”

If you’re feeling disconnected and would like to bolster your sense of community, please check out www.parentinginplacemasterclass.com. On Tuesday night, we’re offering the last interactive webinar of 2020. Cornelius Minor and Rosetta Lee will discuss raising anti-racist kids, engaging in courageous conversations and building inclusive communities. Participants always continue these conversations over at the Parenting in Place Facebook page. It’s comforting to see that we’re not alone in our worries.

Here are a few things I’ve written, recorded or contributed to in recent weeks, and that I hope you’ll find helpful:

https://yourteenmag.com/coronavirus/here-come-the-holidays

Here Come the Holidays. Let’s “Aim for Good Enough.”

https://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2020-12-09/hows-parenting-going-eight-months-into-our-strange-new-world

As we approach month nine of the pandemic in our strange new world, how are the parents doing? And how are their kids doing with virtual learning?

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec20/vol78/num04/Coping-with-Change-and-Uncertainty.aspx

How educators — and all of us — can regain a sense of control during these tumultuous times.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-87g35-f46098?utm_campaign=i_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=i_share

In December’s PrepTalks, Ned Johnson and I talk about how the middle school years offer parents the low-stakes, high-reward opportunity to build confidence, character, and resilience and to teach kids the critical skills they’ll need to thrive in the years to come.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/56993/tips-for-cultivating-healthy-school-friendships-online

I spoke with MindShift about how best to support existing friendships, promote the formation of new ones, encourage healthy friendship, and put friendships to work as an academic resource.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/middle-school-matters-with-phyllis-fagell/id1307157016?i=1000498957748

Two civil rights attorneys who focus on special education and kids’ rights interviewed me for this episode of the Inclusive Education Project Podcast about middle schoolers’ unique social and learning challenges.

Be well and I hope you all have a happy start to 2021!

Warmly,

Phyllis