Helping Middle Schoolers Navigate Big Family Changes

When a family goes through major changes for example divorce, remarriage, a new baby, or shifts in routines. Middle schoolers often feel the impact more deeply than they can express. In this episode of Bouncing Back with Karen Brisport, we explore how these transitions can create stress, confusion, and emotional withdrawal in tweens and teens.

You’ll learn why children may retreat, act out, or seem “unbothered” even when big feelings are brewing beneath the surface, and what the adults in their lives can do to help them feel safe, supported, and understood.

We walk through six practical, heart-centered strategies that parents and educators can use right away, including helping kids express their emotions, encouraging journaling, providing reassurance, strengthening connection, and creating predictable routines during uncertain times.

This episode is a compassionate guide for anyone hoping to help a young person navigate family change with confidence, resilience, and emotional clarity.