I remember Middle School, or Junior High, as they called it back in the day.  It was hard, socially.  Based on what I see and hear with my kids, it’s probably even harder now.

I worry a lot about my kids.  I want them to work hard, but have fun.  I want them to be kind, but not take undue crap from people.  I mostly want them to know how awesome they are, and to have a herd of positive, kind peers who reinforce that awesomeness in a way parents can’t.

So when I saw that my favorite radio show in the world, This American Life, did an entire show on Middle School, I was really interested.  And a little worried.  What if it concluded that Middle School was, in fact, a minefield that no kid could hope to navigate successfully?

Happily, I came away with the opposite feeling.

The kids they talked to have a lot of issues and concerns, ranging from the typical to the heart wrenching.  But here’s the thing: I came away from the show feeling like these are good kids.  Almost every one of them.  It made me feel much better about kids in general.

Take a listen, it’s really interesting.

Good stuff.