Family Events in and around Springfield

From Chris McKenna, a former middle school youth pastor, founder of Protect You g Eyes, THIS:

🌟 Middle School Parent PSA 🌟From teacher Jessica Phillips — and every parent who’s trying to raise good humans in a digital world 💪)

📵 1. Say NO to Snapchat.
They will eventually send or receive something inappropriate.
And yes — they’ll lie about it.
Many middle schoolers don’t have Snapchat — even if yours says “everyone does.”

🎬 TikTok
Hilarious? Sure.
Helpful? Sometimes.
Full of filth and F-words? Absolutely.

👉 It’s not for kids. Skip it. Skip all social media. They don’t need it yet.

🚪 Parenting preteens isn’t for the lazy.
You can’t leave them for hours behind closed doors with phones, TVs, or friends.
If you’re not checking their messages, don’t give them a phone.

🔒 Set up Screen Time with a passcode before handing them that iPhone.
You can even turn off the internet if things get out of hand.
Because — truth: they cannot handle it.

💬 Talk to them. About everything.
Their friends? Some are already having s*x.
Many are addicted to p**n.
They’re exposed to things we never were.

📱 CHECK their phones.

😴 No phones or gaming systems at bedtime.
Charge devices in your room.
Many stay up all night scrolling or playing.

🚫 Say no.
They’ll lie. All kids do — yours and mine.
They’ve already faced peer pressure. Ask them about it.

🚭 Va**ng = NO.
Google it. It’s a bigger problem than you think.

📚 Colleen Hoover?
Not for middle school. Seriously.

💡 Teach coping skills.
If anxiety or stress is running their lives — step in.
They need tools, not screens, to cope.

👫 Know their friends.
It’s everything.
“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”

🧭 Hold them accountable.
Let them fail.
Don’t freak out when they mess up — especially if they tried.

Be involved. Know their teachers, test dates, and assignments.

They’re 12. They still need you.

❤️ Love them through the weird.
Middle school is hard — awkward, messy, confusing.
But this is when they need your love the most.

✨ Equip them. Guide them. Love them.
That’s how we raise grounded, resilient, respectful kids.



Parenting with you!
Chris