Help! My Anxious Middle Schooler: Simplified strategies for parents to help break the anxiety cycle

Transitioning from elementary to middle school can trigger stressful emotions in anxious kids. They are now solely responsible for homework, will meet new people, and will share the halls with older students. Additionally, they have to contend with puberty, hormones, drama, being dropped from their elementary school friend groups, fitting in, bullying, and peer pressure. All of this can be incredibly daunting, especially for an anxious kid. Anxiety surfaces and magnifies at different stages in life, and middle school has a full array of triggers. Parents also struggle during this unfamiliar, challenging stage, which adds to the anxiety.