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Dealing with moody preteens

Posted March 24, 2013 - 6:50pm
This is awesome advice for dealing with the surprising outbursts of tweens/preteens. Wish I'd known this a couple years earlier!

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JamieWalker
Right?? I also love the "Mother Daughter Project" idea by SuEllen Hamkins; interviewed on this site.

CShelton

I am checking it out now. Thanks for the tip!!


Marshall Herff

Ignore them. Ignore them. Ignore them. Soon enough they will come crawling back to parents.


CShelton

Seems a little harsh...


CraigK

Marshall MUST be kidding lmao


CShelton

I think I'm going to use this with my elementary school kid who has been acting a little too "tween". Great vid


SuperDuperMom

So nervous for when my kids enter their tween/teen years! Hopefully since they are close in age they will be able to rely on one another for support and whatnot :)


DanaP

Moody preteens are never fun- and neither are moody teens! The moodiness takes a long time to work their way through preteens and teens. This video gives good advice though. Give them time to cool off, get away from the stress, and then come back refreshed. 


jonbonjovious

I love this video. Moodiness is never fun no matter whose throwing it around. Love the advice and am ready to put the tips into action--I live with a moody tween!


Frugal Minded M...

I've done the time away trick with the kids, but my oldest always trys to take advantage of it and steps out for too long.  Anyone have great  advice hot to get them back in.


CandyOvercaffed

Great advice in that video! It's like putting water on a fire, I think, when you give them a little time to recover. I find it to be true that validation is helpful when they have outbursts, too. My anxious tween seems to be comforted when I tell her what she's feeling is normal. She usually opens up to me about what she's feeling after that, too.


tishamelanie

Agreed CandyOvercaffed! I have an 11-year old who is having some serious mood swings, but it helps a lot when I calmly just give her a hug and remind her that she's on the verge of puberty, so what she's feeling and how she's reacting is completely normal. I try never to get angry at her when she has an outburst, and usually after we sit and I just listen to her try to express what she's going through, she starts to feel better.


CandyOvercaffed

Yes, Tishamelanie - I think for me it's just remember how frustrated and confused I was at that age. It's tough.


Mommy Ramblings

I agree, so many times we have all these expectations of what something is going to be like. The reality is-teenage years have a lot of sucky times and not just for parents. Think back-did you have glorious teenage years? Were there time where you felt you did not fit, that you did not have the friends you wanted, you felt awkward? I am sure there were. This is a time of huge transition. The best thing is to be there but also to understand that they will have all these emotions. Helping them express them in appropriate ways, giving them some space, and most of all loving them even when they may seem less than lovable are key! 


CandyOvercaffed

It really is a confusing time. Body changes, hormones going crazy, friends acting different, preparing for college. It's a lot of craziness.