Parenting is challenging at the best of times, but as your children move towards adolescence, there are fresh challenges. Our relationship with them has history, we have been parenting longer and are often a little weary (to say the least), and we are busy. Did you know that research suggests that the parents of children in the pre-teen and early teen years are the most stressed and least satisfied of all parents?
Our children are embarking on a whole new phase of development that can take a lot of their energy and make things volatile. And they are joining a group – teenagers – that generally don’t get a good rap. Unresolved struggles and trauma from earlier in their lives may also play out in ways that are unpredictable and require enormous flexibility and reserves on our parts as we strive to stay connected to them.
Their world is getting more complex – and so is ours. There’s no formula for how to keep things connected with your child as they get older – things that used to work when they were little may now fall flat. But maintaining our sense of playfulness, keeping play alive in our own lives and in our children’s lives, is critical. And so is getting solid emotional support. We need somewhere to off-load our own tensions and frustrations, and work through our own stories.
Join Certified Hand in Hand Instructors Madeleine Winter (Sydney) and Kathy Gordon (Los Angeles) to learn more about how to use the Hand in Hand Listening Tools to be effective allies to your pre-teen and older children.
More From the Hand in Hand Parenting Toolbox
Hand in Hand is developing a new online class for parents of tweens called Staying Close to Your Tween.
It is important to remember that your attention is as vital to your preteen as it was when they were your toddler. Learn how to support your preteen with our free download Understanding Preteens and Teens.
Special Time can still be done with your preteen, learn how to Stay Connected with Your Preteen  and learn why it is so important to maintain your connection in Parenting Preteens.
Hand in Hand is developing a new class to support parents of tweens. Learn how you can be part of the process.
Connect with Madeleine and support your parenting in her upcoming Parents of Pre-Teens Support Calls.
Connect with Kathy and learn the 5 Hand in Hand Parenting tools in her upcoming Starter Course .