Did you know that by the age of 12 many girls define themselves solely by what their peers think of them?  It’s no wonder that many girls suffer a ‘crisis of confidence’ between the ages of 11 and 13 (according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Did you also know that tweens are a $300 billion economic force?

Put the two together and you have a marketer’s dream.  Young, insecure girls looking for ways to fit in, be popular, keep up to speed.  Tweens need censorship as much or more than they did in earlier phases of development.  It is up to parents to keep vigilant about the messages that tweens get from the multiple media outlets they are exposed to. 

Tweens are part of an information age that accelerates their exposure and access to mature concepts.  Even if you are highly restrictive with your tween’s access, there are a handful of other parents who are not.  Ideas have a way of spreading like wildfire in peer groups.

What can a parent do to protect a tween from excess or harmful exposure?

• Set limits on television, internet, and cell phones.
• Initiate discussion about current events and trends.  Give your opinion, but more importantly, listen non-judgmentally to theirs.  Allow a tween to have her unique opinion without trying to change it. 
• Establish a relationship of trust with your tween.  Give appropriate freedoms based on demonstration of responsibility.
• Allow creative self-expression.  Attempts to change or mold a tween’s sense of self will incite rebellion.