Price: $29.99 - $26.74
(as of May 21, 2025 12:53:48 UTC – Details)
An essential guide for parents and caregivers, this book offers insights, strategies, and understanding to navigate middle childhood (ages 6–12). Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler, a seasoned clinical psychologist and mother, highlights ways to foster resilience, encourage open communication, and build lasting connections during this crucial period.
There is a pivotal sea change happening in children’s development. The age of puberty has been trending earlier for decades, and now starts as young as 8 years old in girls and 9 in boys. Bullying doesn’t just happen on the playground, but over text and DM. Depression and anxiety are drastically on the rise. Couple earlier puberty with ill-equipped, developing brains and the onslaught of new media and stressors that never existed when we were kids, and it’s clear that parents need a new guide to raise this new generation.
The Crucial Years is your essential handbook to navigating the often misunderstood and overlooked years of middle childhood (ages 6–12). As a mom and clinical psychologist, Dr. Sheryl Ziegler knows firsthand how challenging these years can be for some and for others how they are years where a parent thinks they can finally catch their breath in between the gap from preschool and middle school. Dr. Ziegler masterfully unlocks the enigma surrounding modern puberty and offers evidence-based strategies, interventions, and answers to middle childhood’s most perplexing questions and concerns. In these pages, she provides:
Science-based advice to recognize and navigate puberty.Candid and actionable guidance for getting your kids to talk about their complicated feelings and understanding their moods.Insights into the changing world of gender and sexual identity, body image and disordered eating.A clear explanation of the invisible threads linking mood swings, self-confidence, and social media exposure.Road-tested, real-world guidance to handle social stress and other pressures.
With The Crucial Years, you have all that you need to guide your child through the unexpected ups and downs of puberty and help them emerge as well-rounded, confident teens.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Harvest
Publication date : May 6, 2025
Language : English
Print length : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 0063378655
ISBN-13 : 978-0063378650
Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.97 x 9 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book essential for anyone guiding children, particularly noting it’s a must-read for both moms and dads. They appreciate its relatable approach, with one customer mentioning it’s packed with relatable stories.
Brian –
Inspiring, needed, relevant.
As a father of three children, 8, 11, and 13, this book was incredibly helpful, timely, and needed. There is a reason that these ages are called “the forgotten years,” and Dr. Ziegler brilliantly turns this moniker on its head. Just as the exhaustion of the preschool years is past, and the angst of the teenage years is yet to come, the opportunity of these years is so often overlooked. I think fathers are particularly prone to “lay off the gas and chill” when it comes to parenting in these years. That said, Dr. Ziegler doesn’t simply guilt parents into “working harder and tightening the screws.” Instead, she sees these years for what they are, an incredible opportunity for parents to have a supportive influence on who their children are and what they will become in the next chapter.Dr. Ziegler’s book is both well-researched, balanced, and personal. While the challenges of parenting in general, partially in this age group, are real and critical. Her approach is refreshing and optimistic. She offers very practical, actionable guidance that you could employ the night you read it, even going so far as to provide example conversations along with realistic expectations of how these conversations could really go.After reading this book, I’m both inspired and excited about the support I can offer my children in these pivotal years.I’ve never seen a book like it, and this one is a joy to read. You’ll find it incredibly helpful if you are a parent already living in, or approaching, “the crucial years.”
JB –
Parenting Through Middle Childhood with Purpose and Empathy
This is an essential read for anyone guiding children during middle childhood. What makes this book stand out is its warm and relatable voice. Rather than simply offering advice, Dr. Ziegler partners with parents, recognizing the challenges, uncertainties, and emotional ups that arise during these years. She highlights this stage as a vital time for laying the groundwork for healthy adolescence and adulthood, encouraging parents to remain attentive, open, and involved—even as their kids seek more independence. With empathy and insight, Dr. Ziegler equips adults to support children through these critical years with clarity and confidence.
TKO –
So relatable and reassuring – loved it!
I read her first book and couldn’t wait for this one—and it did not disappoint. Even though it’s focused on 6–12-year-olds, so much of it applies to all ages (and honestly, to us as parents too). It’s packed with relatable stories, super practical tips, and the kind of reassurance every mom needs. Highly recommend for any parent who wants real guidance without the guilt.
Laura Esmond –
A must read for both moms and dads!
Fantastic book! So many tangible tidbits to help create the best relationship with my little girl before the teen years. We do have a tendency to think these years are just easy breezy. But they are a foundation for our relationship going forward. Chapter 5 about the pressures of school and social life was enlightening! I highly recommend!!
Keri Reiner –
Must read!
This is a great must read! This book also applies to teens and young adults alike! I have two teenagers and appreciate the knowledge it provides. It teaches you about mental health and how to navigate the challenges kids are facing today.
Amazon Customer –
Crucial knowledge for any parent or caregiver
This is a dynamic book! Although it is geared toward the crucial years, the ideas and concepts are profound and expand beyond those years. A good read for a parent or caregiver of all ages.
Amazon Customer –
Fantastic!
So many aha moments in every chapter that help me understand my kids so much better! I will definitely be going back to this book as a resource for many years!
juli fraga –
A must-read!
A must-read for parents. Dr. Ziegler touches on a phase of childhood that’s often overlooked but one that plays a pivotal role in childhood and adolescent development.