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?
(leave a comment)
Follow The Motherhood and JCD on Twitter (Comment and let me know you did)
Follow My Blog via GFC (Google Friend Connect) or subscribe to my RSS Feed
(Let me know you did in a comment)
Like The Motherhood and JCD on Facebook. (Comment and let me know you did)

Giveaway ends on Monday October 17th (My Birthday) at 11:59 pm, Good Luck!