The Crucial Years

“Ziegler, a clinical child psychologist, popular TED speaker, and prominent social media presence, offers sound, research-based advice delivered via multiple formats: case studies, relatable scenarios, personal experiences, sample conversations, lists, tips, diagrams, and chapter notes, all supported by plenty of reassuring and empathetic commentary…. Whether read in totality or accessed in time of need, this handy reference offers substantial support for families.” – Booklist

“The Crucial Years is more than a book–it is a road map for any adult supporting children. Dr. Ziegler addresses science and strategies that aim to strengthen our children and ourselves. Forward thinking and prevention based, The Crucial Years is a must read!” – Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play

“An essential read for every parent. The elementary school years are a time of incredible growth and change and can also be fraught with challenges that you don’t see coming. Dr. Ziegler prepares you for tough conversations so you can raise happier, healthier kids who quickly become happier and healthier teens.” – Dr. Michele Borba, educational psychologist and author of Thrivers

“The Crucial Years is the ultimate survival guide…. Reassuring, empowering and grounded in research, this book is a must-have roadmap for any parent seeking to preserve their child’s well-being as they make their way through middle childhood.” – Phyllis L. Fagell, licensed therapist, school counselor, and author of Middle School Matters

“No longer the forgotten years, The Crucial Years redefines the ages from 6-12 as a time of opportunity to educate and empower kids. With puberty beginning much earlier, Ziegler provides a developmental framework for understanding the intersection of kids physical and emotional transformation during middle childhood. Her clear explanations and parenting scripts will be a useful tool for any parent navigating this period!” – Vanessa Kroll Bennett, co-author of This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained

“I wish this book were around when my kids were younger. At least I have an excuse for doing it all wrong.” – Karen Alpert, author of the New York Times bestseller I Heart My Little A-Holes

“Seems like every stage of childhood is fraught with some kind of anxiety – often on the part of the parents! Sheryl Ziegler helps us realize that discomfort does not mean disaster, and that as our ‘middle childhood’ kids surprise and sometimes worry us, that’s not only normal, it’s good. Changes ahead! Yikes! Yay!” – Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids

Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Denver, with more than two decades of experience treating tweens, teens and their families in the areas of anxiety, trauma, depression, chronic stress and adjustment disorders. Ziegler is the creator of Start with The Talk™, a puberty skills course for parents and kids available in-person and online that has helped over a thousand families and counting. She’s a nationally recognized expert on the intersection of puberty and mental health and is regularly featured in the media as such. She is the author of Mommy Burnout: How to Reclaim your Life and Raise Healthier Children (Dey Street, 2018), which won Best Parenting Book of the Year by the International Latino Book Awards Foundation.