How do you know if your tween is ready for a cell phone?  The same way you assess her readiness for other privileges:  take an inventory of her committment and level of responsibility.
 

Does your tween take care of her belongings?  Is she organized enough to find her things on a regular basis?
Has she demonstrated an ability to [...]

The following link forwards to an article written by a teen at RadicalParenting.com.    I share it with you because it is a very typical example of the critical and defeating inner dialogue of an adolescent girl.  It reminds us that exterior image or impression is not necessarily indicative of one’s inner sense of self-worth.  A bold, beautiful, accomplished [...]

Cautions from childhood echo in my ear, “What are you complaining about?  Wait til you’re an adult in the real world.  Then you’ll know problems!”  Dismal warnings like this were enough to make me want to curl under my covers and hope that Peter Pan would rescue me from becoming an adult.  Feeling overwhelmed and [...]

I remember feeling invisible; wishing someone would notice me.  It was as if I was locked inside myself and dying to break out so the world could see how amazing I was.  My repeated experience (or at least my memory of it) was one of quiet desperation.  I was either too reserved to speak up [...]

Following a discussion about preteen stress, my 11-yr old daughter looked at her 5-year old sister and said, “I feel so bad that she’ll have to learn about grownup stuff some day.  She’s so oblivious and happy now.”  My tween was reflecting on her own recent transition to a broader awareness.
When girls enter tweenhood, it’s [...]