480: Helping Kids Thrive in Middle and High School
Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs
Karen Stubbs
4.9 • 936 Ratings
🗓️ 19 August 2025
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
School today looks a lot different than when we were kids, and moms often feel stuck between supporting their children and not piling on more pressure. In this episode, Karen and Emily sit down with longtime educator and principal Jerome Huff to share how parents can help their kids thrive during their middle and high school years. We loved the reminder that your child’s school still needs you! Your prayers and presence can make a lasting impact, not only on your child but on the entire school community.
Episode Recap:
- “Principal Coach” Jerome Huff joins us today to talk about helping our middle and high schoolers thrive (2:20)
- How coming from a single parent home influenced the way he ran his schools (5:45)
- How schools have changed over Jerome’s time as a principal (8:30)
- What do you wish more parents understood about what teachers are dealing with day to day? (16:30)
- High schools need parent volunteers as well! Ask, “what can I do?” (23:18)
- The role the Holy Spirit played in Jerome’s approach to being a principal (26:45)
- What are you most proud of from your career? (30:12)
Scripture: Philippians 4:6–7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God…”
Discussion Questions:
1. How do you balance encouraging your child to do their best but not overwhelming them with pressure?
2. Jerome mentioned the importance of letting kids advocate for themselves—what opportunities could you give your child this week to practice independence?
3. Jerome emphasized the role of balance (school + outside interests) in thriving kids. How can you help your child find that healthy balance this year?
4. What’s one way you can support teachers or administrators at your child’s school in a tangible way this semester?
5. How can you begin praying more intentionally for your child’s school, teachers, and classmates?
Resources:
- Grab a pad of Lunchbox Notes to start your year off strong! https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/collections/gifts/products/lunch-box-notes
- Reach out to https://birdsonawiremoms.com/book-karen-to-speak to have Karen come speak in your community
- Join our private FB group, BOAW Moms: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BOAWmoms
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | We're getting more and more kids who are suffering with anxiety. |
| 0:02.6 | They're going to the doctor. |
| 0:03.9 | There's so much pressure put on them. |
| 0:05.7 | And to have those hard conversations with those parents, it was difficult sometimes. |
| 0:09.5 | And the parents don't want to hear it. |
| 0:10.2 | But Mr. Hub, I just want the best for my child. |
| 0:12.1 | I understand that. |
| 0:12.9 | But you're putting some undue pressure on your child. |
| 0:16.1 | Give them a break. |
| 0:16.9 | They don't have to take all honors classes. |
| 0:18.7 | It's going to be fine. They're going to get into college, but they don't have to make all A's. I know this, I want that for my kids, but it's not the end of the world if they don't. Welcome to Wire Talk, where we encourage and equip moms by answering practical questions about motherhood. We want to help instill God's truth in your heart so you can experience more joy and peace on your journey of |
| 0:38.3 | motherhood. Are you ready for some truth? Let's dive in. Well, hello everybody. Welcome to Wire Talk. |
| 0:46.1 | We are so glad you're here with us. We are almost done with our back-to-school series. And today, |
| 0:52.6 | you have me, Emily, my mom, Karen. Hey, Mom. Hey, how are you, M? |
| 0:56.8 | I'm good. And we also have a guest speaker today. Yes, Jerome Huff. So he was a principal in an elementary |
| 1:03.3 | school, middle school and high school. He's now retired. But then he went back to work in the Georgia |
| 1:09.2 | Department of Education. |
| 1:16.1 | And he has been, I think y'all are going to find, he's a great source of knowledge. |
| 1:20.5 | Yeah, and everything he says is so great, and he's also a man of faith, and it's just cool to see how he intertwined his love of education and his love for Jesus and kind of just took |
| 1:26.8 | where he was in his season of life and |
| 1:29.0 | showed up for these parents, but also showed the light of Jesus. |
| 1:32.0 | Yeah. |
... |
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