Let’s be honest — middle school is TOUGH, even without having learning challenges, and you are TIRED.
Middle school hit you (and your child) like a ton of bricks and you are 1000% over the nightly homework battles.
You are tired of seeing your child struggle and want them to enjoy learning again.
What else can you do to help them?
Can you even stay up until midnight working on another assignment that was put off until the last minute?
Why must their backpack constantly be a bottomless pit where all papers go to die?
You want your child to enjoy learning again and you want to get back to the fun part of parenting them.
Maybe you’re struggling with supporting them at home with schoolwork.
Maybe you can’t take another day of watching them struggle no matter how hard they work.
Maybe you’re feeling like they’re unmotivated and are tired of the repeat pep talks/lectures/vent sessions about why they should care more.
And that messy backpack is about to send you up the wall.
I’m Ashley and I’m going to help your middle schooler start using strategies that work to help them improve their learning, finally get organized, and start managing their time (instead of letting time pass them by).
Can I let you in on an unpopular opinion?
Puberty does a number on tweens and mamas are often told to just ride out the years and come out shining on the other side.
You could do that and hope for the best. But there is a better way. A way that isn’t going to force your child to struggle for the next several years. A way that will allow you to enjoy this stage of life with your tween.
You’ve probably read a bunch of blogs and maybe a handful of books – trying to figure out what’s going on in your kid’s brain.
You’ve vented to your mama besties.
You’ve talked to their teachers and/or school counselor.
You might have even paid for academic tutors that were insanely smart and taught your tween a ton of stuff, but something still didn’t click for them.
And yet, you’re still watching your child struggle at school and you .
Here’s the truth – there are simpler ways to get through to your kid.
And the struggle can stop sooner than you think.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
I hated middle school. It was a TOUGH ride for me (and my mom).
I was gifted, but barely making B’s.
I was the kid with the backpack and locker stuffed full of papers, who stayed up until 3 AM working on projects (sorry, mom!), and who lost more jackets, coats, and purses than I care to admit.
I had the agenda my school provided, but no idea how to use it.
I had binders and dividers, but no clue what to do to make them work.
I SO wanted to be the girl with the color coded, perfectly labeled, Lisa Frank organizational system, but I was in over my head and quit in frustration before I ever really got started.
I studied for tests, but that mostly just looked like me reading over notes and study guides until my head hurt.
To be honest, I mostly flew under the radar because I was doing just enough to keep my teachers and my parents off my back.
I was surviving, but not quite thriving.
I muddled through high school, mildly improving my skills with normal development and performing well enough to get into a top 20 university with plans to become a pediatric pharmacist.
But that is where the story takes a turn. I struggled through my classes, making mostly B’s and C’s until I eventually failed my sophomore year Biology class (and netting a D in another class, thanks to a very generous professor.
I felt hopeless.
I felt like I’d bamboozled the admissions department and every teacher that ever believed in me.
And honestly, I felt dumb.
Something had to give, so I started meeting with one of my university’s learning specialists on a regular basis. He taught me exactly how to manage my time, how to get organized, and how to start improving my learning habits both in and out of my classes to finally see success.
The biggest benefit? He helped me see that I was capable, in spite of my struggles.
And he inspired me to help kids who had their own learning challenges.
Baby teacher me at college graduation – ready to take on the middle school world!
Guess what?
School doesn’t thave to (and shouldn’t) be a constant struggle.
There are things your child can do right now that will help them be more organized, learn in ways that work for them, and manage their time like a pro.
I started working with middle schoolers because I get them.
I get what it’s like to struggle with school.
I get what it’s like to silently struggle with learning.
I get what it’s like to have goals for yourself that feel unreachable.
And, now, I help them set and reach goals by giving them a safe space to learn and practice new habits with support, encouragement, and accountability.
A huge part of my success is that I don’t believe kids should be “seen and not heard”, especially teenagers.
I understand that tweens have a voice and they WANT to feel seen AND heard – even when they are loud and wrong.
I believe that every student comes to the table with things they’re already doing well. My role is to help them do more of what’s working, teach them more effective skills (and give them space to practice) in the areas that are more challenging for them, and hold them accountable for sticking to the plan.
You don’t have to take the DIY approach anymore to help your child find success.
I’ve read the books, scoured the blogs, dove into the research, attended the trainings, and figured out what actually works with real life kids so that you don’t have to.
I’m a certified teacher, certified school counselor, and National Certified Counselor (NCC) with over 10 years of experience working with kids with learning (and behavioral) challenges.
I’ve presented at state conferences, held parent workshops, led trainings at my school, and worked with hundreds of kids to help them hop off the struggle bus at school.
I don’t want to “fix” your kid – there’s nothing wrong with them.
I DO want to help them find ways around the barriers to their learning so that they can enjoy learning and feel confident at school.
I want to take the pressue off of you – and I have a whole bunch of strategies that I know will work, an ability to be patient that still blows my mind, and a mindset that helps me power through those challenging times.
Your middle schooler deserves to enjoy learning.
And you deserve to have fun with your kids again.
You made it this far, which means we’re friends now and you should probably know a little more about me.
I’m a Virgo TO. THE. CORE.
I’m one of very few people currently living in Atlanta that also grew up here (and, based on the traffic, we are AT CAPACITY).
I have 2 dogs that can’t seem to remember that they don’t pay ANY bills in this house.
I’m next level middle school cool because my husband keeps me up to date on pop culture references from TikTok.
I am obsessed with finding my perfect decor on Pinterest and attempting to recreate it in my home.
I love Queen Bey and have been to nearly every concert she’s had in Atlanta. (psst – Do you know her? Make the connect, girl! We’re friends – right?)
Join the free Middlerific Moms Facebook Group to get support from me and other middle school moms like you.
Snag this freebie chock full of 32 different conversation starters you can use to help you start navigating tough tween topics with ease.
Wanna work with me? Check out the services I offer and and book a free consultation to see if working with me will be a good fit for your middle schooler.