To say I was a nerd in middle school would be an outright understatement.
I was the stereotypical “middle schooler.”
Braces? Check.
Frizzy hair? Check.
Knobby knees? Check.
Math league? Check.
Despite all these (quite embarrassing) shortcomings, I loved middle school. I loved that we were out of elementary school, but not quite ready for high school. We lived in our own little world of strawberry lipgloss where boys were suddenly “cute.”
I learned so much during middle school, both academically and emotionally. I am still friends with my middle school friends. I had weird and crazy and memorable “boyfriends.” I traveled to Italy with my BEST friends.
Dorky College Prepster over there on the left! (White sweater, pink polo, obvi.)
First ever “school dance.”
(Please laugh with me, and not at me!!!)
7th grade… getting taller. And much more awkward.
Our 8th grade dance. A big deal.
I’m not sure if I would necessarily go back to middle school. I mean, I didn’t have a Chi. But, I definitely am so thankful for the wonderful experiences I had.
Why am I bringing back all these weird memories?
I had a seventh grader email me. It was just about the cutest and sweetest thing ever. My heart was melting. I remember being 12. And because I love doing these retrospective “what I wish I had known” things… (The Freshman 50 and The Freshman 50 Jr.)
Here’s the pre-teen edition:
Have as many sleepovers as you can
Don’t roll your eyes at your parents, they’re actually pretty amazing
Read every single assigned book
Don’t gossip. Ever.
Boys still have cooties. And don’t let your friends convince you otherwise.
Talk to your parents (or teachers) about any problem. And try to before something turns into a real problem.
Set goals.
Find your values and stick to them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be silly.
Do a sport and stay active.
Last bit of advice, my mom told me this right before I started high school and it’s still stuck with me! She showed me a blank pad of paper. One wrong decision is like drawing a thick line on the paper with a permanent marker. Apologizing and cleaning up afterwards may help a little, but you’ll always have that mark on your “paper.” Stick to your morals and avoid those permanent blotches!!!
What would you tell your middle school pre-teen self?
I too will be sharing this with my middle school daughter. It is such a fun, but difficult time for some. Thankfully my daughter is handling it fairly well, except that eye~rollin' thing! Hmmmm?
Hey College prepster! I love reading your blog and just wanted to say that I look forward to your tips on studying, you can say I'm a preppy nerd at times, haha:) I'm a freshman in college this year and I was wondering if you had any tips on balancing your break/study times? I'vebeen feeling burnt out lately and tried your reading break tips for studying, but I find myself studying for 10 minutes and reading for 20 minutes, needless to say this is counterproductive!
Love this list Carly! I'm glad middle school is a thing of the past, but I'm still trying to tackle high school and some of this advice should come in handy. PS-Love your first name!
I love the "Read every assigned book" I so wish I had done that.
I wish I could go back and tell my middle-school self that it's okay if people don't like you, as long as you're sticking to what you believe in and doing the right thing, if it's the right thing to do and somebody still gets mad, that's not your problem…
I can't say middle school was terrible, but, like you, I would NOT want to go back. The first attempts at makeup, the bad outfit choices I made, the way we thought we were SO mature (but really we had no idea).
All in all, I think most people can agree it's just an all around awkward phase in life, but still one that helped us grow and mature.
I loved your tips for pre-teen girls- they are so true!
Hahaha that "7th grader" was my best friend….I introduced her to your blog and now she's trying to become preppy….she won't tell me what she said to you!
I am going into 10th grade and even looking back just 2-3 years, I would tell myself to be nice, dont hate, and enjoy the time that I had (not saying I would ever go back to middle school haha)
I have been calling myself a Chill Mom™️ since having Jack and now I’m realizing that I’m even chiller with Rory. (Like is birth order really less about sibling order and more about the version of mom you’re born to?) I’ve been just rolling with Rory’s infancy and I’m so much happier. Maybe it’s just that I’m more tired with a toddler too, or know that it’s going to go by so fast, or just have more confidence… probably a combination. I feel less obsessive and less stressed out by the details. I’m “making it” without having to fake it. As an example, today I noticed I hadn’t tracked a single nap- just watching sleepy cues and trying to get to a “good enough” pattern as Rory’s naps consolidate. Is he following a ~perfect~ nap schedule? No. Are we thriving? Frankly, yes!
(If you want to read my original Chill Mom post, comment “chill mom” and l’ll send it to you via DM!)
We came, we saw elephants, we ate ice cream 🐘🦒🦓 @ashleybrooke and I always talk about how we became FAST friends. Somehow we have been right there with each other during some of life’s worst moments… so it’s extra sweet that we now get to celebrate the good ones! Watching our boys play together, a little baby in a stroller, and another baby on the way… it’s everything we dreamed of.
Somehow yesterday felt like a week, last month was last year, and last year was a decade ago… but then time is simultaneously going by so fast too. The past ten weeks have gone by in a blink! Everyone warns you it goes by fast and they’re not wrong…. The days are long but oh how I wish time would slow down a bit? Or that maybe I could bottle up a tiny bit of these precious boys at every stage so I could revisit them down the road 🤍
I have grown to LOVE baby wearing. Not only do I think it’s such a nice and cozy way to bond with baby, it’s also incredibly practical, especially when you have a toddler to keep up with too! The @wildbird aerial carrier was a treat for myself- and I’m so obsessed with it. 👶🏼 Leave a comment “wildbird” and I’ll DM you the color I have as well as my personal review of it (including some troubleshooting tips).
Some top level things I like; - it’s easy to put on! - it’s so, so comfortable (for me AND baby!) - the little flap is seamless and provides extra support while baby naps and privacy when we need/want it
This affordable rechargeable LED lamp is cute and then made even cuter with this wicker lampshade! 💡✨ No cords needed- just charge and place wherever you want. (Will be extra perfect for dining outdoors this summer!) 💫 Comment “lamp” and I’ll send you links to the LED lamp ($38 for a pair!) and the lampshade (available in a few styles- including a darling blue).
Not really in the mood to be in photos right now, but I keep telling myself I’ll want to look back on these moments and remember them. (Right?!) when I look at these photos in 10, 20, 30 years…
I hope I remember Jack “rescuing” Rory from a windy tent, not how I stood in front of my closet with tears in my eyes.
I hope I remember watching Jack roll down hills and play hop scotch and scoot down the sidewalk with his besties, not that I caught a glimpse of my reflection and didn’t recognize myself.
I hope I remember sitting outside with my friend happily watching our kids play (while watching the minutes until bedtime tick by), and not that I spent too much time zooming in and examining every new wrinkle on my face.
I hope I remember the pure joy of these early warm days with my little family whom I love so much 🤍
The weather is warming up and I’m feeling slightly more comfortable in my skin every day ☀️ Here’s what I wore last week as a mom of two. I have a two and a half year old toddler and a two month old so I need outfits I feel good in, can chase a little guy around in, AND that I can breastfeed easily while wearing. 🔗 Leave a comment with “OUTFITS” to get links to every outfit I wore!
I am gonna share this with my middle school daughter!
I love your pre-teen advice and sweet memories.
pve
I too will be sharing this with my middle school daughter. It is such a fun, but difficult time for some. Thankfully my daughter is handling it fairly well, except that eye~rollin' thing! Hmmmm?
Love,
Mrs. Kindergarten
Hey College prepster!
I love reading your blog and just wanted to say that I look forward to your tips on studying, you can say I'm a preppy nerd at times, haha:)
I'm a freshman in college this year and I was wondering if you had any tips on balancing your break/study times? I'vebeen feeling burnt out lately and tried your reading break tips for studying, but I find myself studying for 10 minutes and reading for 20 minutes, needless to say this is counterproductive!
Much love,
marissa
Great advice! People always laugh/don't believe me when I say that I peaked in middle school. Those were the days 🙂
OMG you are just so cute! Not only were you wearing Lilly in Middle School, but you seem to have always been a wealth of mature knowledge! You Rock!
Great list! And I remember my 8th grade dance…it WAS a big deal, haha!
I wish someone had told me this when I was in middle school! It would have saved me a lot of trouble!
I'm going to share with my 9 year old NOW before middle school trouble hits.
Carly- Thank you so much for this. I happen to be in 8th grade at the moment, and it was really nice to read this post. Thank you!
Good advice, Carly!! I'm in high school, but I do wish I had known some of this stuff, too.
Love this list Carly! I'm glad middle school is a thing of the past, but I'm still trying to tackle high school and some of this advice should come in handy. PS-Love your first name!
I love the "Read every assigned book" I so wish I had done that.
I wish I could go back and tell my middle-school self that it's okay if people don't like you, as long as you're sticking to what you believe in and doing the right thing, if it's the right thing to do and somebody still gets mad, that's not your problem…
I can't say middle school was terrible, but, like you, I would NOT want to go back. The first attempts at makeup, the bad outfit choices I made, the way we thought we were SO mature (but really we had no idea).
All in all, I think most people can agree it's just an all around awkward phase in life, but still one that helped us grow and mature.
I loved your tips for pre-teen girls- they are so true!
GREAT post! I'm going to be a camp counselor for middle schoolers so I love this. Also, yall went to FLORENCE in middle school?? Too cool
Hahaha that "7th grader" was my best friend….I introduced her to your blog and now she's trying to become preppy….she won't tell me what she said to you!
I am going into 10th grade and even looking back just 2-3 years, I would tell myself to be nice, dont hate, and enjoy the time that I had (not saying I would ever go back to middle school haha)