Tag: tween

It’s pungent. Foul. Overwhelmingly offensive. It’s the first thing you notice when you walk into the room, and the only thing you think about until you leave.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s your kids—they smell. But somehow, despite the stench, they don’t seem to notice it. How is that possible?

Though we want to believe that proper hygiene is something that comes naturally, it’s a learned behavior and not something kids automatically pick up. It’s up to us as their parents to teach them.

I’d like to be able to tell you that teens don’t use drugs. Unfortunately, that’s not true. I wish I could assure you that tweens—kids ages 9 to 12—wouldn’t think of using drugs. But I’d be lying.

In my practice, I see tweens every day who are experimenting with alcohol and drugs, always without their parents’ knowledge. It’s not uncommon for tweens to first try drugs in middle school. Even if they don’t become hardcore users, just this short exposure can have dire consequences for the rest of your child’s life.

I’d like to be able to tell you that teens don’t use drugs. Unfortunately, that’s not true. I wish I could assure you that tweens—kids ages 9 to 12—wouldn’t think of using drugs. But I’d be lying.

In my practice, I see tweens every day who are experimenting with alcohol and drugs, always without their parents’ knowledge. It’s not uncommon for tweens to first try drugs in middle school. Even if they don’t become hardcore users, just this short exposure can have dire consequences for the rest of your child’s life.

By now, we know that online bullying can leave a trail of destruction in its wake. It occurs fast and can have long-lasting repercussions. But what about a bully who doesn’t just try to tear your child down by posting on their Facebook wall, but who also attacks them directly via their cell phone?

When friends have a falling out, former besties can turn into bullies. Many times those who feel the most comfortable with their victim, such as ex-friends or boyfriends and girlfriends, turn to text bullying to hurt, embarrass, and intimidate their target.

The transition to middle school can feel like quite a gut check for parents. Mature topics that seem years away are suddenly front and center. In fact, many parents I work with claim that in hindsight, middle school was a tougher transition than high school.

From budding romantic relationships to the reality that experimenting with substances in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades is quite common; middle school is a strange time warp where kids feel too young for this, but too old for that and parents long for those easy elementary school years.