Middle school is rough. Whether you have boys, girls or even the most saintly of kids – we’re sure at some point during their middle-school years, you got the eye-roll.

Haley Kilpatrick is the founder of Girl Talk, an international non-profit peer-to-peer mentoring program focused on helping young teenaged girls build self-esteem, develop leadership skills and recognize the value of community service. Kilpatrick is also the author of The Drama Years, a book filled with countless hours of research, talking with young girls about their problems and what you can do to parent through it. The book opens  many doors into the young female brain – analyzing what it is that makes those years so trying.

We’re here to talk about what you can do to connect with your girl, or even boys, through Kilpatrick’s messages. We’re focusing on a specific chapter in this blog post: Dealing with You. That’s right, parents – YOU. What The Drama Years explained was that your kids want to open up to you more than you may realize. They would much rather get the facts and hear about topics such as peer pressures or underage drinking from you – not in the locker room. 

What’s been found, is that Heidi is not alone. Your kids want answers, they want to hear the facts. It’s you that needs to stress an open conversation and the ability to talk rationally, even when your kid might tell you something contrary to your image of them. Talk to them about the peer pressures they will ultimately face, so they know how to handle situations as they come their way.

Be open to their concerns- you are the first line of defense against peer pressure. They are looking to your for the answers to be confident leaders one day.

Do you see a leader in your daughter? Girl Talk is hosting its first ever LeaderU conference in Washington, DC! All high school girls are welcome to hear from distinguished women about what it means to be a confident, bold leader in their line of work. Interested?? Register here! It’s a great opportunity for your daughter to see all that happens in the nation’s capital under the care of confident, insightful women leaders of today that are looking to form the confident leaders of tomorrow.