When Netmums asked me if I would like a read of a book about Tweens, my first reaction was why on earth would I want to read about Bella, Fizz, Jake and Milo. Even sadder is the fact that I can still remember the name of the characters. Apparently, though, Tween is the name for those years between cute, sweet smelling young age and the huffing, puffing flouncing of a teenager. I have one of those huffy puffy’s who can flounce at the drop of a hat and conversation is made up words with one syllable. My other child is though a fully fledged tween.
When you encounter terrible twos or any awkward toddler age, there are many books you can turn to. Similar when you teenager starts to look at you like you’ve just landed from space when you ask the simplest of things, there too are books you can turn to. At last they have written a book for the Tween years.
You and Your Tween is brilliantly written by Hollie Smith, who has two tweens herself. She also worked with many experts when she was writing the book so their expert knowledge is in there too. The most important bit for me was that she also talked to hundreds of real life every day parents of tweens. As a single parent, back up in the parenting department is a bit thin on the ground. I have no siblings nor do I have school gate banter anymore so to read other peoples tried and tested advice is a god send. You and Your Tween is the sort of book I wished I had years ago.
You and Your Tween is laid out in chapters tackling different things at a time which makes it easy to dip in and out off when you need to. For me this made it less daunting than having to read a whole book just to try to find answers and advice on specific troubles. The eight chapters do cover, I think, just about everything I have or do worry about.
Conflict and communication – dealing with changing (and challenging) tween attitudes; boundaries and rules; talking and listening to your tween; consequences and bad behaviour.
School – transitions to secondary; helping with homework; coping with SATS; tackling problems and talking to teachers; school refusal.
Friends and peers – making friends; coping with peer pressure; when friendships go bad; tackling bullying.
Puberty, sex and relationships – helping them through puberty; talking about sex and relationships; tween love and romance.
Modern media – screentime guidelines; tweens and the internet; social networking; online safety, security and privacy; gaming; mobile phones.
Health and wellbeing – healthy eating & fussy eaters; staying active; drink, drugs and smoking; sleep and relaxation.
Emotional issues – confidence & self-esteem; anxiety, stress and the depression; body image and eating disorders; coping with trauma.
Independence – keeping him safe whilst letting him go; rights and responsibilities (eg pocket money and chores); pester power; preserving childhood.
Their advice isn’t away with the fairies and your not preached at in any way. Your not made to think you’ve been doing it all wrong, far from it. It’s realistic and down to earth advice from parents who have been there themselves . The book explains the whys and how’s a tween brain works which helps understanding tweens behaviour so much easier.
So the important questions.
Did I find it a useful book?- Yes and I will be dipping into it when I need it.
Would I recommend it to other Tween mums?- Yes. At less than £10 it’s affordable too.
You can read more of what other readers have had to say at Netmums
Or rush over to Amazon and get your copy now. Buy Now (ISBN-10: 0755361091  ISBN-13: 978-0755361090 and available on kindle)
I am a member of the Netmums Blogging Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team to review products and brands on their behalf. I am paid an expenses fee to cover my time (and childcare if the fee is big enough!) but Netmums have no editorial control whatsoever about what I blog about. Being a member of the Netmums Blogging Network means that I get to try out products and brands and get my expenses covered but that I retain full editorial integrity.
Leave a Reply