My guest today is education leader and author Chris Balme, here to talk about his brand-new book Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome. In it, Chris gives middle schoolers themselves the tools to turn the ups and downs of adolescence into an adventure filled with meaning, growth, and connection.

In our conversation, Chris shares why adventure and healthy risk-taking are so powerful during the middle school years, how parents can support their kids’ self-efficacy and independence, and what this can look like for neurodivergent learners. We also talk about the parallel journeys parents and kids go through during this stage, and how leaning into growth together can make middle school not just manageable, but truly awesome.

About Chris Balme

Chris Balme is an education leader, writer, and speaker. He’s endlessly curious about how we can raise wise, loving, and capable adolescents.

Chris has co-founded and led two innovative schools, written a best-selling book called Finding the Magic in Middle School, and regularly speaks to and trains teachers and parents around the world. His new book, Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome, gives the keys to middle schoolers themselves, to turn the wild ride of adolescence into an adventure full of meaning and connection.

Chris currently serves as Co-Principal of Hakuba International School, and as director of Argonaut, an online advisory program for middle schoolers from around the world. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.

Things you'll learn from this episode

• How middle schoolers are far more capable than they’re often given credit for

• Why choice, authorship, and experiential learning are critical for building self-efficacy in adolescents

• How shifting from being the “boss” to being a guide helps parents support their child’s growth

• Why healthy risks and self-directed challenges are especially important for neurodivergent kids

• How parents can act as mirrors for their children’s experiences while growing themselves in the process

• Why creating supportive environments and offering practical adventures, like those in Challenge Accepted, helps middle schoolers thrive

Resources mentioned

• Chris Balme’s website

• Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome by Chris Balme

• Finding the Magic in Middle School: Tapping Into the Power and Potential of the Middle School Years by Chris Balme

• Chris’s Substack

• Chris on Instagram

• The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

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