6 parenting tips for raising tweens
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – It’s Parenting Connection Tuesday and 6 News is here for you with tips, strategies, and helpful reminders from child development experts on how we can be better parents and guardians.
Today’s topic: 6 parenting tips for raising tweens.
This age group is 9 to 12 year olds. It’s a time when your cute little boy or girl starts physically and emotionally changing. These developments then create a new independence, which can bring a lot of good and bad for mom and dad. For example, tweens start to spend a lot more time in their room and care more about their friends than their family. Adults can relate because we did so too, but experts say that kids in this age group still need parental support and guidance… and it’s extremely important to keep a strong communication bond going.
Here are 6 tips from experts with the Child Mind Institute to help:
Do not feel rejected by their newfound independence. Parents can interpret their pre-teen’s withdrawal as rejection, but it’s not.
Watch what they watch with them. This allows for some together time but also allows for you to stay aware of what they’re getting influenced by.
Don’t be afraid to start conversations about sex and drugs. They’re learning and talking about these topics at this age with their friends and seeing it on their screens, and there is nobody better to educate a tween than their parents.
Don’t be overly judgmental. Experts say, your tween may still look up to you but are trying new things or looks you may not like too much, so go easy.
Don’t overreact. This usually backfires and causes your tween to get overly upset.
Don’t be “clueless” either — this ultimately means… don’t be a parent who “just ignores stuff”
Experts say, the goal is to develop trust with your tween so they don’t shut you out at a time in their life they need you most.
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