Recap: Tween Academy – Tweens & Communication

I had the pleasure of co-hosting Tween Academy: Tweens & Communication on October 4th with The Motherhood, led by best-selling author and parenting expert Roaslind Wiseman along with five additional blogger co-hosts. Being a Tween is one of the most difficult times in a child’s life. They are at that in between stage. They may be too old for one thing but, not old enough for something else. As parents we may struggle to communicate effectively with our children as they begin to blossom in front of our eyes. Some children tend to get a little more reserved as they get older not wanting to share much with parents because it may start to feel awkward to them and there are times that we keep the lines of communication open but, don’t know if we are being heard.

The Motherhood stated: As a parent, it can be easy to think your child isn’t listening to you, but they are, and they need to know that you’re listening, too. According to the Unilever Tween Confidence Index, commissioned by fabulous Tween Academy sponsor Unilever’s partnering deodorant brands, the more tweens value talking to their parents, the higher self-confidence they’ll have.

Here are some of the key things we discussed during out chat – The Motherhood Talk Summary Keeping Open Lines of Communication

Focus on listening. Often children confide in their parents to vent, not to get advice. Unless there is immediate physical danger, when your child tells you something, really listen. Many children are reluctant to share problems with their parents because they’re worried their parents will “freak out.”

Start with the small stuff. If you can talk to your kids at the start of puberty about growth spurts, body odor and deodorant, they will come to you later for bigger life moments and issues. Supporting research shows that confidence and self-esteem begins to decline as tweens transition to their teenage years (age 13-17), underscoring the importance of continual communication.

Thank them for sharing their problem with you. Reaching out to their parents is difficult for many kids, so it’s important to recognize this effort as you want to be a resource for your child in the future.

We also talked about: Overcoming communication challenges, Letting Tweens know you’re on their side, Competing with technology for attention, Privacy is a privilege, Tough Conversations, Being there when they need you, Keeping your cool, and Remembering NOT to limit communication. To read the full Summary and get links to resources please head on over to The Motherhood.

Surprise Giveaway: A gift pack from Unilever which will include a Vera Bradley bag; one sample each of Dove, Degree Girl and Degree Men deodorant; and Rosalind Wiseman’s books Queen Bees and Wannabes and Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials.

Mandatory Giveaway Entry: How do you communication with your tween?
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Giveaway ends on Monday October 17th (My Birthday) at 11:59 pm, Good Luck!

Tween Academy Series: Tweens & Communication

I am privileged to be participating as co-host on a panel with six great bloggers with our discussion on Tweens & Communication being led by Rosalind Wiseman, author of the New York Times bestseller Queen Bees and Wannabes (which the movie Mean Girls was based on) to cover how to maintain an open line of communication with our tweens. The class takes place on Tuesday October 4th at noon, on TheMotherhood During this real-time, text-based class, we can exchange ideas and address questions about the importance of maintaining uninhibited family communication … even when it isn’t easy. It’s all part of Tween Academy on TheMotherhood, brought to you by Unilever. Please take a moment and “Like” the Unilever Facebook Page.

Speaking from experience, I was told that I talk at my children (This holds true when they’ve upset me) and I don’t talk to them. I don’t stop my ranting to see if they even understand what they did wrong, not taking the time to listen to hear their feelings and they just classify me as being a fussy mom. When I talk at them, it makes them shut down and not want to talk to me, leaving them to run to their dad, aunt, grandparents or friends etc. to talk and express their feelings bout the situation and NOT me. This is something that I have been working on so that no matter the situation, my children feel comfortable enough to come and talk to me about anything. As our children grow they tend to become more reserved and self-conscious when they enter into adolescence. It’s definitely up to us to give them a sense of security and that shoulder to lean on. Does this sound like anyone else?

Awesome Giveaway! During the Talk, we will randomly give one participant a Vera Bradley tote bag filled with these items: momAgenda Desktop Planner; momAgenda Chores Pad; momAgenda Love Post-It Notes; one sample each of Dove, Degree Girl, and Degree Men deodorant; Rosalind Wiseman’s Queen Bees and Wannabes; Rosalind Wiseman’s Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials. You have to be present to win! So please join me along with Carmen Mom to the Screaming Masses, Michele Scraps of My Geek Life, Kailani An Island Life, Kristin Only Parent Chronicles and Dwan MommaDJane as we talk Tweens & Communication. Hope to see you there! For information on the other classes and topics head on over to TheMotherhood and jump right in!

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!