Spend some time peeking in at the tween blog sites. You might find some interesting topics that your child may be wondering about, too.
I recently typed "tween blogs" into Google, and it gave back many sites where tweens can "talk" to each other and get advice from each other on different topics. The lingo takes a little time to get used to, but when I got to the heart of the matter, I found some really interesting topics that tweens "talk" about and have in common. I think these are golden opportunities for us, as parents, to either agree or redirect or own tweens with some better advice. For instance:
Sindy's Blog - Sindy takes on a babysitting position and constantly refers to the children she watches as "brats." If she is starting a new job with this attitude, do the kids she is watching have a fighting chance?
Ask April Blog - The picture of April is a bit disturbing. She is a cartoon character who is built in a hearty manner (putting it nicely). Her logo is "April writes what Dear Abby will never print and what your shrink doesn't have the guts to tell you." Makes me want to see what she has to say! How about you?
AllyKatzz.com - This site seems really cool for tween girls. They "talk" about books, family, boys (of course), and a whole range of topics. There are blogging rules, which is comforting. I think this is one of the best places on the web to get a feel for what your tween is thinking about.
There are many ways to know what's going on with your tweens because this is the age when they start becoming elusive with conversations with their parents. Keep those lines of communication open as best you can. Visiting tween blog sites and tween forums is a great place to start. These are places that will keep you "in the know."
