Parenting the Middle School Years with Joe Martin

Joe Martin

Helping parents raise confident, resilient, and empathetic kids ages 10–14 through practical advice, real-life stories, and simple strategies that work in the real world. Short, actionable episodes for busy parents of middle schoolers who need a little help. Parenting should be a team sport!  So we will be talking about: Friendship struggles Bullying Screen time Negative body image Motivation Confidence Resilience ... and all the challenges that come with raising a middle schooler   The middle school years can feel messy, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming. But there is hope. Your child isn't finished becoming who they're meant to be. And neither are you. Welcome to Parenting the Middle School Years.

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 18- Would Your Son Speak Up If He Saw Something Wrong?

    What kind of young man are you raising? A disturbing story involving current and former Cornell students got me thinking about a question every parent of a middle school boy should consider: Would your son have the courage to speak up if his friends were doing something he knew was wrong? As parents, we spend a lot of time teaching boys what not to do. Don't bully. Don't mistreat girls. Don't do drugs. Don't get into trouble. But raising good young men requires another conversation. What happens when your son isn't the one doing something wrong—but he's standing there watching it happen? In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe Martin talks about raising boys with courage, character, confidence, and the willingness to stand up for others. Even when speaking up could cost them popularity or friendships. You'll learn how to talk with your middle school son about peer pressure, bullying, group chats, disrespect toward girls, being a bystander, getting an adult involved, and knowing the difference between courage and unnecessarily putting himself in danger. Because these lessons don't suddenly begin when our boys leave for college. They're being practiced right now: in middle school hallways, locker rooms, sports teams, friend groups, and group chats. One of the most important questions we can ask isn't simply: “Would my son ever do something like that?” It's: “What would my son do if his FRIEND did something like that?” If you're raising a middle school boy and want to help him become a good man who knows when to speak up, when to get help, and how to do the right thing when everyone around him is doing the wrong thing, this episode is for you. They're not who they're going to be.

  2. Sep 28

    Episode 17- When Your Kid Starts Talking to AI Instead of You

    Kids aren't just using AI and ChatGPT for homework anymore. They're using it for advice, relationships, personal questions, and problems they may not feel comfortable discussing with their parents. In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe Martin explores what parents need to know about middle schoolers and AI and how to keep technology from replacing real parent-child communication. You'll learn why kids may turn to AI for advice, when AI use becomes concerning, how to set healthy technology boundaries, and practical ways to become the person your child feels comfortable talking to when something really matters. AI isn't going away. The goal isn't to fear it, it's to help your middle schooler use it wisely while keeping real human connection at the center. If you ever need help with your middle schooler, we do one on one mentoring at Relentless Positivity Mentoring.

  3. Sep 21

    Episode 16: The Cat in the Hat Trend Parent's Should Be Aware Of

    A viral social media trend can turn into a real-world problem in seconds. In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe Martin breaks down the viral “Cat in the Hat” trend and how AI-generated posts, group chats, and online jokes can cross the line into threats, school discipline, police investigations, and even criminal charges. Joe gives parents practical tools to help middle schoolers think before they post, text, share, or follow the crowd, including his simple 10-second rule and one powerful question kids can ask before hitting send. You’ll learn how to talk with your child about social media safety, peer pressure, online behavior, AI-generated content, and making better decisions when everyone else is joining in. The goal isn’t to keep kids off social media. It’s to help them develop an internal voice that says: “Hold up. Is this a good idea?” A practical episode for parents raising middle schoolers in the age of TikTok, Snapchat, group chats, viral trends, and AI.

  4. Sep 14

    Episode 15: When Your Child Has No Direction

    What if your middle schooler isn’t lost, they just haven’t found their thing yet? Joe Martin shares the story of a young man who once struggled with confidence, direction, and motivation. Years later, he’s healthy, strong, working, doing well in school, preparing for the ACT, and planning a future in health and fitness. For parents of middle schoolers, it’s a reminder to keep planting seeds even when it seems like nothing is working. In this episode, Joe talks about building confidence through small wins, helping kids find purpose through sports, fitness, music, art, work, service, or other interests, and why parents shouldn’t confuse the planting season with the harvest. Keep showing up. Keep encouraging them. Keep planting seeds. They’re not who they’re going to be. Relentless Positivity Mentoring https://fitandpositive.com/rpm

  5. Sep 7

    Episode 14: The Kids Are Gonna Be All Right. My Mullet Is Proof.

    It’s easy to look at something your middle schooler is struggling with today and start worrying about what it means for their future. But your 12-, 13-, or 14-year-old is still becoming who they’re going to be. In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe shares an unfortunate 8th-grade photo featuring a mullet and an Iron Maiden T-shirt and the much bigger lesson hiding behind it. We talk about why middle school is supposed to be messy, why parents need to stop projecting today’s problems into their child’s future, and why we should correct bad decisions without turning them into labels. Joe also shares a simple challenge that can help your middle schooler see that you were once an insecure, awkward kid trying to figure things out too. Your child may not have confidence yet. They may make mistakes. They may care way too much about what their friends think. That’s a snapshot. It’s not the whole story. Keep parenting. Keep listening. Keep setting boundaries. And keep believing in the person they’re becoming. They’re not who they’re going to be.

  6. Aug 31

    Episode 13: When Scared Turns Into Angry

    When anger takes over, there may be more happening underneath. In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe Martin explains how fear, embarrassment, rejection, overwhelm, and insecurity can sometimes show up as anger. And how parents can respond without ignoring bad behavior. Learn why it helps to calm things down first, get curious later, and help your middle schooler identify what they’re really feeling.

  7. Aug 24

    Episode 12: 5 Things To ask instead of asking "How was school?"

    Tired of asking your middle schooler, “How was school?” only to hear “fine” or “nothing”? In this episode of Parenting the Middle School Years, Joe shares 5 better questions that can actually get your child talking, why listening matters more than immediately giving advice, and a simple challenge to help you create better conversations with your middle schooler. Relentless Positivity Mentoring https://fitandpositive.com/rpm

  8. Aug 17

    Episode 11: Your Child Still Needs You. Just Differently.

    In this episode, Joe talks about why your middle schooler may start pulling away and why that doesn’t mean they need you any less. Learn how your role changes as they become more independent, why listening sometimes matters more than fixing, and simple ways to stay connected during these important years. https://fitandpositive.com/rpm

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Helping parents raise confident, resilient, and empathetic kids ages 10–14 through practical advice, real-life stories, and simple strategies that work in the real world. Short, actionable episodes for busy parents of middle schoolers who need a little help. Parenting should be a team sport!  So we will be talking about: Friendship struggles Bullying Screen time Negative body image Motivation Confidence Resilience ... and all the challenges that come with raising a middle schooler   The middle school years can feel messy, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming. But there is hope. Your child isn't finished becoming who they're meant to be. And neither are you. Welcome to Parenting the Middle School Years.

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