Staying Connected with Your Tween
Categories: Teens & tweens

ParentDish is pleased to welcome Rene Syler to our team. Rene hosted CBS news' The Early Show from 2002 - 2006; she is the author of The Good Enough Mother, and is currently at work on her second book. You can spend more time with Rene at her web site.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jan Bay 12-17-2008 @ 7:56PM
After spending the afternoon with my niece, I can say that talking alone does not seem to do the trick. They tune you out and respond in one syllable at best.
I came up with some fun things to do and THEN we started to connect. She actually made a few sentences and I did my best not to seem thrilled. Not a super example of interaction, but she smiled a couple of times and hugged me when she left.
They are under such pressure to be cool which in tween speak seems to mean detached and untouchable.
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
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Laurie Leverington 1-08-2009 @ 9:44AM
I'm a single mom of a 16 yr old boy, and I have to say we talk a lot, argue a lot, have rules, rules are broken, there are consequences, and that's just the tip of the iceburg. I think single moms of boys have more difficulty because of the man/woman role issues. It's difficult to find a balance because guys don't want to be bossed around by a woman. Period. So any method of trying to enforce rules is met with the attitude of "you can't make me (becuase I'm bigger/stronger than you). It can be very frustrating!
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