ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

They say “it takes a village,” and this book certainly did.

From Both Cindy and Jenn

Thank you Familius for believing in the important message of The Parent Compass from the very start and for welcoming us so warmly into your family. You are consummate professionals, and we feel privileged to be a part of your community whose mission it is to strive to make families better. To Christopher Robbins for wholeheartedly embracing the need for a book to help parents of adolescents, and to Brooke Jorden and Kate Farrell for your constant patience in answering our barrage of questions. And to our editor Kaylee Mason, whose keen eye and detail-oriented talent made our work shine, and Workman for getting our book distributed.

Thank you to the scores of professionals who believed in our work and advised, supported, and consulted with us along the way including: Dr. Denise Pope of Stanford University and Challenge Success; Than Healy of the Menlo School; Vicky de Felice who introduced us and who patiently consulted and mentored us both through the years; Chelsea Brown and Tiffany Shlain—tech gurus extraordinaire; Dr. Michael Dennin; Kari Riedel and Sarah Miles at Challenge Success; Brian Tickler; and to the too-numerous-to-list teachers, counselors, headmasters, admission directors, and education professionals who interviewed with us and shared your reflections. And to Cynthia Jenkins, PR queen, whose cleverness, talent, and support of our project is beyond compare. We thank you and appreciate all of your efforts. For your time and insights, we are both so grateful.

From Cindy

To my devoted girlfriends who love me no matter what. To Mom and Dad, for your continuous generosity and who model an enduring marriage and friendship spanning sixty-five-plus years. To Mom and Dad Muchnick for always supporting and cheering me on. To Adam, for your unwavering support, love, and partnership; and to my kids Justin, Jacob, Ross, and Alexa whose patience I admire and appreciate as I sat glued to my computer for many months, not always following my parent compass, in order to get these ideas down. And to Sprinkle for dutifully sitting by my side as I wrote and wrote and wrote. I love each of you to the moon and back. And finally, to Jenn: I could not have completed this book without the most perfect, amazing, exceeded-my-expectations-in-every-way partner. From the moment we spoke for ninety minutes by phone in March 12, 2019 (the day Varsity Blues erupted), our professional relationship as colleagues has grown into a trusted partnership and a genuine friendship. I sincerely appreciate everything you have brought to this project, and I could not have done this important work without you. Our hearts and souls were both 100 percent in this, and knowing that I had you in my corner gave me the boost I needed to move forward every day. Thank you for sharing this experience with me, one that I know will connect us for the rest of our lives. I adore you and what we have built and are building together (and, I might add, these are the only words you have not edited in this entire book!).

From Jenn

Mom and Dad: you taught me that it was cool to love school and indulged my childhood dreams with reams of typewriter paper on which countless iterations of my “debut novel” were written. Thank you for always encouraging me to write. To Kate Conard and Caroline Tickler, for the enthusiastic support from the moment this project became a reality. Thank you for your incomparable editing expertise, for so generously offering me a quiet place to write, and, most of all, for being by my side at every turn—always. Mike and Bev Curtis: Thank you for watching the girls to allow me time to write and for all of your support. To my sweet friends who checked in, cheered me on, and offered invaluable ideas. Mike, my single biggest cheerleader: you push me to be my best self. Thank you for listening, for critiquing half-written chapters, and for . . . well, everything. You are a true partner. Zoe and Corinne, my brown-eyed girls: you make my heart so very full. Thank you for being endlessly patient with me while I chased this dream and for being my constant reminder of the value of a parent compass. And, finally, to Cindy: In short, you inspire me. I have learned so much from you about grit and not taking no for an answer. I love your ability to not take yourself too seriously and admire your humility. We started this journey as colleagues and ended as close friends—a transformation for which I am grateful. Thank you for your constant cheerleading, motivating words of encouragement, and invaluable lessons in motherhood. Your friendship is a gift.